Needed the money
1899
Frank Arthur Nankivell captures a tense domestic standoff in this 1899 illustration, likely a cover or insert for the famous humor magazine *Puck*. A burly laborer, sporting a green bowler hat and a large pickaxe over his shoulder, looks distinctly sheepish while smoking a pipe as a woman stands with hands on hips, seemingly giving him an earful. The background features a rocky hill and the wooden scaffolding of a building under construction, grounding the scene in a rapidly industrializing era. The title 'Needed the money' suggests a humorous take on the financial pressures of the Gilded Age, implying the man has taken on a tough job—or perhaps sold something he shouldn't have—to make ends meet.
Views: 1