The Wasp — 1878 — page 30: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The left side features a cartoon titled "The Alchemist" showing an elderly bearded man at a workbench with alchemical equipment. The accompanying poem is attributed to "the French of Beranger" and depicts a poor alchemist seeking to transmute base metals into gold—a classic alchemical fantasy. The satire appears to mock both the historical obsession with alchemy and, possibly, contemporary get-rich-quick schemes or false promises of wealth. The alchemist represents human folly and futile ambition. The verse emphasizes the gap between dreams of fortune and grim reality, suggesting the poem critiques those who waste effort on impossible pursuits rather than honest work. The cartoon serves as moral commentary on greed and delusion.