Puck — April 10, 1878 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a political cartoon from Puck magazine showing a figure in classical/allegorical dress (labeled "Puck to Nemesis") addressing personified Nemesis, the Greek goddess of retribution. The figure gestures toward grand institutional buildings in the background—likely representing banks, government offices, or corporate headquarters based on their classical architecture and prominence. The caption reads: "These proud edifices have helped..."—suggesting the sentence continues beyond the visible text. The satire appears to critique wealthy institutions or powerful figures, implying that their grand buildings (symbols of their success and power) have contributed to some negative outcome. "Nemesis" invokes divine punishment or comeuppance, suggesting the cartoon warns that such pride and institutional excess will face eventual reckoning or downfall—a common Puck theme mocking corruption, greed, or unchecked power among the wealthy and influential.