The Wasp — 1880 — page 173: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This engraving depicts a wealthy woman in elaborate dress reclining luxuriously while a darker-skinned figure (likely a servant or enslaved person) attends to her. The title "The Lord's Table" appears to be satirical social commentary. The satire likely critiques **class inequality and servant labor exploitation** in the period. The woman's opulent clothing and reclined posture emphasize leisure and privilege, contrasted with the subservient attendant. The "Lord's Table" reference may suggest ironic commentary on Christian moral teachings versus actual social practice—highlighting hypocrisy between professed values and treatment of lower classes or marginalized people. Without additional context about *The Wasp* magazine's specific publication date, the exact political target remains unclear, though the image unmistakably mocks wealth disparity and servile conditions.