A Tight Fit Charles Samuel Keene (1823-1891)

The drawing presents a man struggling with his attire, specifically a suit jacket that appears excessively tight. He is depicted in profile, leaning against what seems to be a doorway or architectural support, as if bracing himself against the discomfort. The artist has rendered him with exaggerated features – a prominent mustache, a broad face, and a somewhat strained expression – contributing to a sense of caricature.
The suit jacket itself is the focal point; its buttons are visibly straining, and the fabric appears pulled taut across his chest and abdomen. He holds a hat in one hand and a walking stick in the other, suggesting an attempt at maintaining composure despite the physical constraint. The posture conveys a mixture of exasperation and resignation.
The background is sparsely detailed, consisting primarily of vertical lines that evoke a sense of enclosure or confinement, mirroring the man’s predicament. A glimpse of what appears to be a chair and some sort of rack are visible in the distance, further establishing an interior setting. The cross-hatching technique used throughout the drawing creates texture and emphasizes the feeling of constriction.
The accompanying caption, This is what that tailor of mine called a fit! I shall have to get it grown out, provides crucial context. It transforms the visual depiction from a simple observation about clothing into a commentary on vanity, societal expectations regarding appearance, and perhaps even the relationship between client and craftsman. The humor lies in the mans ironic acceptance of an ill-fitting suit, implying that he is willing to endure discomfort for the sake of conforming to some perceived standard of style or status.
Subtly, the drawing might also be interpreted as a broader metaphor for societal pressures – the feeling of being squeezed into roles or expectations that are not entirely comfortable or natural. The mans predicament becomes symbolic of an individual struggling against constraints imposed by external forces.