Legitim
Ferdinand Freiherr von Reznicek
1908
Ferdinand von Reznicek captures the dry humor of married life in this 1908 illustration. A stylish couple sits at a restaurant table, the wife looking utterly bored while her husband ignores her for the newspaper. The caption delivers the punchline: when she complains about his dullness, he explains that if they actually chatted happily, onlookers would assume she was his mistress, not his legitimate wife! It’s a biting satire on the expectation that long-term marriage must be tedious, drawn with the elegant, flowing lines typical of the Art Nouveau movement.
Views: 3