Who Is in the Soup Now, from Puck Possibly 1889

Curator: This lithograph is called "Who Is in the Soup Now," possibly from 1889, created by Louis Dalrymple. Editor: Oh, this is brutal! The colors pop, but the scene is of absolute desperation. It feels so immediate, so sharp in its commentary. Someone is quite literally stewing in a pot of...soup? And it’s not a comfortable soak. Curator: Note the material context: a lithograph meant for mass consumption through a publication like Puck magazine. It relies on potent visual shorthand. The "soup" is economic hardship, no doubt. The figure drowning within is being boiled by policy. Editor: Absolutely. He looks furious, terrified. The little details, like his discarded hat labeled "Working Man", adds this layer of poignant reality. The steam seems to emphasize that suffering. Dalrymple, that’s quite the stage name; he is showing what he has discovered, as he delves deeply, relentlessly, digging for what causes suffering. Curator: Exactly. And the "ingredients" around the pot show how the suffering emerges as a consequence of policies. Reduced wages, factories closing, all this talk about prosperity under the Republican High Protection Administration...it is scathing! The means of its distribution made it an immediately relevant critique. Editor: It feels just as urgent today, which is what is terrifying. What resonates most strongly, even beyond the social and historical context, is the gut-wrenching visual of a man consumed by circumstances beyond his control. The lines are energetic, scratchy… Curator: That lends urgency. Mass-produced art like this allows us to investigate the political, material culture of the time—what visual tactics resonate? Where does public opinion solidify or shatter? Editor: It makes you wonder who, back then, would have just glossed over this… I mean, seeing it, how could it not affect them. The raw impact alone is incredibly powerful, even ignoring the historical data and arguments made. A bold act. Curator: Agreed. Seeing artwork such as this helps expose power structures through accessible channels is a testament to the power of political cartooning as material. It invites introspection about the cycles of history and progress. Editor: Beautifully put. "Who is in the soup now?" is a timeless question it forces us to ask not only of the past but ourselves.