Puck — February 13, 1878 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Puck Magazine, February 13, 1878 This is a puzzle picture titled "WHERE IS THE POPE?" The satirical image depicts figures searching among gnarled trees and forest vegetation for the Pope—a visual riddle asking readers to locate a hidden figure within the illustration. The cartoon likely references Pope Pius IX's political situation in 1878. The Pope had been confined to the Vatican since Italian unification in 1870, refusing to leave in protest over the loss of the Papal States. The "where is the pope?" puzzle satirizes his self-imposed isolation and reduced political power—he's literally missing from the world stage, hidden away like the concealed figure readers must find in this visual game.