“This charming watercolor captures a relatable moment of human foible, inviting us to smile at the universal experience of a mental blank or a humorous oversight, all within a simple yet expressive composition.”
In "Ahem—Those jokes about absent minded professors," a man in a rumpled suit and spectacles stands before a blackboard, his posture suggesting a moment of realization or perhaps mild embarrassment. His hand is raised to his mouth, a gesture that immediately draws the viewer into his internal thought process. The title itself, a playful interjection, hints at the narrative unfolding: perhaps he has just made a gaffe or forgotten something crucial. The watercolor and pen and ink medium allows for both crisp lines delineating the figure and the soft washes of color that give depth to his clothing and the background. The scene feels intimate, almost like a snapshot of a private moment, inviting us to ponder the nature of wit and intellectual life in the late 19th or early 20th century.
- Artist
- William H. Key
- Medium
- Pen and black ink and watercolor, over traces of graphite, on ivory wove paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 27.9 × 21.4 cm (11 × 8 7/16 in.)
- Collection
- Prints and Drawings
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Gift of Lewis H. Kaminester, M.D.
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The man's spectacles, perched on his nose.
The faint, erased chalk marks on the blackboard.
The subtle blush of color on his cheeks and nose.
The way his hand is held to his mouth, suggesting thought.
1 more detail is waiting.
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William H. Key
1832–1922 · United StatesWilliam H. Key was an American engraver and medalist, whose work included creating intricate designs for coins and commemorative medals.
Further Works by Key
The Key
Art Institute of Chicago
"The Bath," a dripping spring in Kanab Cañon. Temperature, 69° Fahr, No. 9 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"
1872 · Art Institute of Chicago
Jitterbugs II
Art Institute of Chicago
Ship with Sails Furled and Arrow Pointing to the Right
Art Institute of Chicago
The Jazz Wall
Art Institute of Chicago
"Who knows what Eloise did wrong?"
Art Institute of Chicago
[Group of 266 Stereograph Views of the 1855 and/or 1867 Universal Expositions in Paris, France]
1850 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bugle in C
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
