A satirical cartoon from 1792 titled 'A Sphere projecting against a Plane'. It depicts a very obese man, essentially shaped like a sphere, being wheeled on a small cart towards a thin, disapproving man.
mansphereplanecartwheeltextobesityaristocracysatirepolitical cartoonEuclidmathematics18th centuryEnglandhistorical illustration

This is a satirical cartoon from 1792 titled 'A Sphere projecting against a Plane'. It depicts a very obese man, essentially shaped like a sphere, being wheeled on a small cart towards a thin, disapproving man. The obese man is dressed in a frilly shirt, waistcoat, and breeches, and wears a wig. His body is massively swollen, almost perfectly spherical, and he is being pushed on a small, two-wheeled cart. His face is partially obscured by rolls of fat, but he appears to be looking ahead with a somewhat haughty expression. The thin man stands to the left, dressed in a blue coat, white shirt, and breeches. He is leaning on a cane and looking at the obese man with a critical and disapproving expression. He appears to be a caricature of a mathematician or intellectual. The cart is simple, with two small wheels and a basic wooden frame. The background is plain, with a suggestion of a street or courtyard. Below the image is a block of text, which appears to be a mathematical definition of a sphere, referencing Euclid. The cartoon is a political satire, likely commenting on the excesses of the aristocracy or the perceived absurdity of certain social norms. The title and the mathematical definition are a clever play on words, suggesting that the obese man is a literal embodiment of a sphere 'projecting against a plane' (i.e., society).


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