The Wasp — 1892 — page 386: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a mythological scene reimagined as contemporary satire. The title references the Greek myth of Andromeda, who was chained to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. Here, a chained female figure (representing China, as labeled on the distant shore) is threatened by a dragon-like creature emerging from the sea. Multiple warships appear in the background, suggesting foreign military intervention. The cartoon satirizes Western imperial powers' exploitation of China during the late 19th/early 20th century. The "Andromeda" metaphor critiques China's vulnerability and helplessness against both internal threats (the dragon) and external colonial pressures (the warships). The chaining represents China's subjugation and lack of agency during this period of foreign domination.