The Wasp — 1890 — page 199: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* presents a six-panel satirical sequence titled "An Expressive Study at the Race-Course." The cartoon depicts what appears to be a well-dressed gentleman (identifiable by his top hat and formal attire) at a racetrack, shown in progressive states of emotional reaction. The panels trace his journey from apparent confidence or anticipation through increasingly animated gestures—presumably responding to horse-racing outcomes. The exaggerated body language and facial expressions suggest financial gains or losses at the track. The satire likely mocks the folly of gambling and the emotional volatility it produces in participants, a common target of period satirical publications. The refined gentleman's loss of composure serves as the joke, demonstrating how race-betting undermines respectability.