The Wasp — 1887 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This *Wasp* cartoon from July 9, 1887 appears to satirize San Francisco's cultural pretensions or artistic ambitions. A well-dressed man holds sketches labeled with artistic subjects ("could," "field," "sage") while addressing a reclining woman. The scattered art supplies and theatrical props suggest someone promoting or "awakening" San Francisco to Eastern (likely Asian or European) artistic influences. The title "Seeking an Eastern Awakening" implies San Francisco was considered artistically provincial and needed external cultural stimulation. The man's pompous demeanor and the woman's indifferent pose suggest satire of either pretentious art promoters or San Francisco's receptiveness to foreign cultural trends. The specific figures remain unclear without additional context about 1887 San Francisco's art scene.