I cried for madder music and for stronger wine,
But when the feast is finished and the lamps expire,
Then falls thy shadow, Cynara! the night is thine;
And I am desolate and sick of an old passion,
Yea, hungry for the lips of my desire:
I have been faithful to thee, Cynara! in my fashion.—Ernest DownsonNon sum qualis eram bonae sub regno Cynarae
Today, David from Manhattan relates the history of an original cartoon by The New Yorker's former art editor and later cartoon editor Lee Lorenz, who passed away last week at the age of 90. The cartoon dates from 1963, ten years before Lorenz was to become art editor. David writes:
In May 2008 an eBay seller from New Hampshire posted a somewhat blurry image of a Lee Lorenz cartoon, "You the party calling for madder music and stronger wine?" At the time I was interested in New Yorker cartoons with a literary connection, and the gag line, quoting Victorian poet Ernest Downson, seemed perfect.
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| "You the party calling for madder music and stronger wine?" Lee Lorenz Original art The New Yorker, October 26, 1963 p. 44 |
Even if you weren't familiar with Downson, it was pretty funny coming from a waiter doing a fine job of keeping a straight face.
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| Detail of the waiter |
Published in the magazine in the issue of October 26, 1963, it's a nice example of what might be called his in-between style of late 1950s-early 60s with hints of his mature style still to come. I bought it, without competition, for $107, including postage.
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| "For Miss Wood with much affection, Lee" |
The inscription, of course, was intriguing, so I wrote Mr. Lorenz, providing postage, a strong hint that I would like a written or typed note or letter, rather than an email. On May 15, he replied from Eaton, Ct. with a nice hand-written response over two pages:
I moved to Greenwich, Ct. in the middle of my sophomore year in high school. I had the extraordinary good fortune to study with two remarkable teachers over the rest of my high school years--Lucia Cummins, the art teacher who introduced me to both William Steig & Jackson Pollock, and Catherine Wood who introduced me to just about everything else that had ever been written. We remained close friends for many years after I graduated. I think I may have given her the drawing in question as a birthday gift.
It's good to know that it has found a new home with someone who will value it. Thank you for writing. Sincerely, Lee L.
Catherine Wood was also the high school teacher of Truman Capote in 1939-41, and was the first adult to take him seriously as a writer, something that Capote never forgot. As with Lee Lorenz, she and Truman remained friends for years afterward. His letters to her are at the New York Public Library. His earliest work can be found in The Green Witch, the school's literary magazine.
I met Mr. Lorenz only once, at an evening talk at Swann Galleries [on September 26, 2016] that he shared with Edward Sorel, a few days before one of the auction house's Illustration Art sales. Lorenz, who came across as gentle and very cheerful, kindly inscribed my copy of The Art of The New Yorker 1925-1995, but the woman with him (possibly his daughter) reminded Lee that they needed to catch a train at Grand Central, so our chat was cut short.
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| "For David, Thanks for sharing such warm memories with me. Lee Lorenz" |
The drawing's dimensions to sight are 11" wide by 10 3/4" high. I've never opened up the frame, so I don't have an image of any New Yorker art department notations and hand stamps, but the original label of the framer is still present, as is a note from Miss Wood: "I have given this picture to Stephen Adams/ Catherine R. Wood/ Sept. 19, 1968."
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| The framer |
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| "I have given this picture to Stephen Adams Catherine R. Wood Sept. 19, 1968" |
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| Detail of the bar patron |
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| Detail of the juke box and sign |
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| "You the party calling for madder music and stronger wine?" Lee Lorenz Original art The New Yorker, October 26, 1963, p. 44 |
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| Cartoons by Lee Lorenz and Robert Weber |
Note: I am grateful to David from Manhattan for sharing this extraordinary artwork from his collection and for recounting all his research on this piece. This is David's fifty-second contribution to the blog.
I remain ever eager to post more original art by the late Lee Lorenz. Please send images and related stories my way.
For that matter, drawings by cartoonist Robert Weber would be welcome too.
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| "That Krushchev is kind of cute when he wants to be." Robert Weber |
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