"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: