The Wasp — 1889 — page 65: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a circus or performance scene where human heads with exaggerated facial features (appearing to be political figures) are displayed as animal attractions. The figures have human faces but are positioned like circus acts—one balanced on a ladder, others on pedestals or performing with props like a large globe. The visible label "PESCIA" appears on one pedestal. The crowded gallery of spectators suggests this is mocking public figures being displayed for entertainment or ridicule. The circus setting implies these politicians or public personalities are being treated as curiosities or performing animals for popular consumption. Without clearer identification of specific figures, the cartoon's exact political targets remain unclear, but the general satire concerns the spectacle of public life and political theater.