Harper's Weekly: "Oscar Wilde on our Cast-Iron Stoves"

Something of note to me in this specific caricature are the pixie/fairy-like proportions of Wilde, as well as the fact that he seems to almost float on the page like a fairy; he is not seated on the cast-iron stove, as one might expect based on his position on the page. But about his proportions: not only is he floating, but his features all seem doll-like and miniatured in some way. This hair is also lengthened and made frizzy, and his arms are posed in a very unnatural way that suggests a type of dance. And of course, the sunflower returns on Wilde's lapel, this symbol of sexual self-analysis by proxy of the beauty of nature. The flower, the floating, and the proportions make him look less human and more Tinkerbell-esque, which is very queer in tone (gay men being called "fairies" is certainly not unheard of).

Source:

Nast, Thomas. "Oscar Wilde on our Cast-Iron Stoves." Harper's Weekly, 9 Sept. 1882, https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/13608/a--oscar-wilde-on-our-castiron-stoves.

 

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

9 Sep 1882