Weird 1810 illustration with women's bonnets as flowers and men as bees

[frauenfelder]

[Read the post]

[Ratel]

And now we understand the evolution of Gene Simmons.

[HMSGoose]

Having trouble not seeing the guy on the left’s umbrella handle as a craggly boner…

[Delta]

Style is very reminiscent of that of XIXth humor drawings we have copies of in the family.
Like: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/pictures/606x422fitpad[0]/8/7/5/1384875_LRLa-Famille-Anglaise-a-Paris-Le-Supreme-Bon-Ton-No.jpg

Google image: “supreme bon ton”. (Don’t if you have british ancestry, you wouldn’t get it anyway )

[Gem]

I don’t really see flowers and bees when I look at this picture. I think the bonnets were (an extreme version) of the coal-scuttle style, which seems somehow less poetic than flowers and bees.

“High fashion” is one of those things that’s easy to satirise, and it’s fun to see (the many) historical examples of this.

[Franko]

this has GOT to be a cartoon poking fun at fashion with an extreme version of those bonnets, and how hard it would be to kiss with them – women’s hats as flowers and men as bees? seriously? haha

[renke]

I think you and @Franko are right - it’s more a satire about the bonnet fashion.

This caricature on Commons has a similar topic

[Woodchuck45]

This one came up in the search; the bonnet style looks almost exactly the same.

[Trent_Baker]

Its od how changing the profile of the head can make some things look creepy. Also I wonder if that 2nd pic was the inspiration for Pyramid Head from Silent Hill?

[GrymRpr]

Looks like the design is based off a flower. Maybe a yellow or orange tube flower.
Why not add Deflowering a woman to the mix and there ya have it lol

[anon34812172]

Pre- “look both ways before crossing” era. Wear that now and you’d be road toast.