"An Aesthetic Midday Meal" is published in Punch Magazine

Cartoonist George du Maurier draws "An Aesthetic Midday Meal" for Punch Magazine, a British magazine of humor and satire. This cartoon satirizes Oscar Wilde's lifestyle, as the unconventional customer, Jellaby Postlethwaite, is seen sitting in a feminine manner with his legs crossed and hands clasped.
Jellaby was a recurring character in Punch articles, a clear jab at Wilde's beliefs and actions. The cartoon suggests that Jellaby will dine on just a lily flower as "aesthetic food" rather than food of any real substance. These cartoons were widely read and led to the ridicule of Wilde on his future tours.

Sources

George du Maurier, "An Aesthetic Midday Meal"

Snider, Rose. “Oscar Wilde's Progress down East.” The New England Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 1, 1940, pp. 7–23. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/360678.

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

17 Jul 1880

Parent Chronology: