The Wasp — 1895 — page 465: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon mocks the infidelity of married men during summer season. The scene depicts a husband caught by his wife in a compromising situation with a housemaid during "Mrs. B.'s Absence." When confronted, the unfaithful husband ("Brown") desperately claims innocence, suggesting the maid was merely kissing "the old Man" (unclear reference, possibly a pet or euphemism). His final excuse—offering to get "engaged" to cover his transgression—satirizes men's shallow attempts to deflect blame. The joke targets upper-class summer social customs where husbands apparently took advantage of wives' absences. "Those Summer Husbands" reflects contemporary anxieties about marital fidelity and male duplicity among the wealthy leisure class. The cartoon's humor relies on the absurdity of the husband's transparent excuses.