A Social Gathering 

Charles Dana Gibson created this pen and ink drawing, A Social Gathering, at the turn of the 20th century. It depicts a scene of wealthy leisure, but it also subtly critiques the social dynamics of the American upper class. Gibson was known for his illustrations of the "Gibson Girl," a representation of the ideal American woman: tall, independent, and athletic. Here, we see several women who embody that ideal, engaged in conversation. The man in the background looks on, seemingly excluded. The setting is a lavish home with a painting of an aristocratic figure hung on the wall, perhaps suggesting a longing for old-world status in the new American elite. The drawing comments on the social stratification and gender roles of the time. By studying Gibson's illustrations in publications like *Life* magazine, along with historical accounts of upper-class social life, we can gain a deeper understanding of the cultural values and social tensions of the Gilded Age.