Sunday, March 6, 2016

Donald Trump Caricatures by David Levine

The estate of caricaturist David Levine (1926-2009) has taken advantage of Donald Trump's recent political ascent to offer two drawings of the real estate developer at auction.  The 1988 caricature of Trump wearing diapers over his suit trousers did not find a buyer in 2015 but sold for a hammer price of $1,500 earlier this year perhaps owing to his current notoriety. On the other hand, the drawing from 2000 of the famous builder carrying a 2 by 4—more than a mere chip on his shoulder—failed to sell.

U.S. Presidential candidates are caricatured frequently during primary season and much more so if they make it to the Oval Office. The question implicit in this sale is whether purchasing a decades-old  drawing by a major caricaturist of a possible future President is a sound investment. It probably is, but many people still reject the idea that Donald Trump will be our next President.

David Levine, Original art, Donald Trump, 1988
The New York Review of Books, May 22, 1988

Swann Auction Galleries, January 28, 2016
David Levine, Donald Trump, 1988
The New York Review of Books, May 22, 1988


David Levine, Original art, Donald Trump, 2000
The New York Review of Books, December 21, 2000

Swann Auction Galleries, January 28, 2016
David Levine, Donald Trump, 2000
The New York Review of Books, December 21, 2000



Note:  Rebecca Rego Barry wrote about these political caricatures pre-auction on Fine Books & Collections. She believes these Levine drawings will prove underpriced should Mr. Trump become President and who can argue with that?

The archives contain a couple of earlier posts on the remarkable David Levine including one about his unprecedented concurrent appearances on the covers of Time and Newsweek.

Donald Trump is simply too big not to be mentioned on this blog, and I'm not talking about his hands.

Levine archivist David Leopold has been mentioned here in his capacity as Creative Director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation.

There's more here about the art of caricature as well.

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