Verkehr mit Dienstboten
Ferdinand Freiherr von Reznicek
1908
Ferdinand von Reznicek serves up a delicious slice of Edwardian scandal in this 1908 illustration, likely from the famous satirical magazine *Simplicissimus*. The title 'Verkehr mit Dienstboten' is a brilliant double entendre, translating to both 'interaction with servants' and 'sexual intercourse with servants.' In the scene, a woman in a white slip stands with her back to us, seemingly scolding her maid who sits on the bed looking quite composed. The caption reveals the drama: the mistress is forbidding the maid from speaking about her husband using a specific slang term—hinting that the servant knows a bit too much about the master of the house! It's a perfect example of Reznicek's talent for capturing the bawdy, hidden lives of the upper class with a wink.