The Wasp — 1879 — page 323: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a bearded man in classical/allegorical dress operating as a chemist or alchemist, working with an "Inc-on Curning" vessel. The figure is labeled "BRIMSTONE" at the bottom. The satire appears to target a political figure associated with inflammatory rhetoric or "brimstone" (sulfurous, hellfire language). The "Chronicle" banner at top suggests this critiques newspaper coverage or the figure's use of sensationalist language. The classical costume and alchemical apparatus suggest the cartoonist mocks this person as a charlatan or fraud—someone creating dangerous "concoctions" through inflammatory speech or writings. Without additional context, the specific target remains unclear, though the satire certainly condemns manipulative, incendiary political rhetoric disguised as serious work.