Ronald Searle: The Coming of the Great Cat God

The Coming of the Great Cat God is a 1968 color lithograph by Ronald Searle. It combines his popular cat imagery with one of those calamitous urban landscapes he was rendering at the time. A colossal smiling cat radiating garish colored light towers over the imposing cityscape and extends its right front paw downward. Terrified men in business suits jump from buildings and flee from the cat. It is not unusual for Searle's lithographs of this period to contrast elements from nature with an overbuilt urban landscape featuring panic-stricken inhabitants.

The Coming of the Great Cat God
Ronald Searle
Original lithograph no. 86/95, 1968
Gurlitt catalogue no. 34
EE cat. no. 94

Ronald Searle
Swann Galleries listing ended May 22, 2014

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/SEARLE-RONALD-The-Coming-of-the-Great-Cat-God-Color-lithogra?saleno=2351&lotNo=250&refNo=689681

The 1971 Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt catalogue lists the four-color lithograph (no. 34) and two black-and-white exhibition posters (nos. 35 and 36) from 1968 made from the same plate.

The Gurlitt catalogue does not list a promotional poster for Editions Empreinte. The poster does not have Searle's signature or his distinctive writing, but it does attribute copyright to him in small printing at the bottom:

Ronald Searle
Quinn's Auction Galleries listing ended December 20, 2022

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/roland-searle-lithograph-poster-1968-237-c-55d482cafe?objectID=176250941&algIndex=upcoming_lots_prod&queryID=5f78cbb9aa93f70f04630c19a515ee67

The color lithograph was included in Ronald Searle's Big Fat Cat Book (1982):

04428

Whitney Darrow, Jr.: Brother Francis

David from Manhattan sends photographs of an original Whitney Darrow, Jr., New Yorker cartoon our way. He writes:

The attached pics came from a Fla. estate sale in August 2007 and sold on eBay, including matte and frame, for $270. It came from a collector you've mentioned before, in connection with a George Price cartoon, Leon F. Thorpe of Pittsburgh, Pa., and a Fla. retiree who died in 2006. Most importantly I suppose, he was a customer of the Nicholls Gallery. The Darrow was priced at $600 in October 1983. Pen & ink with wash on 13 3/4" x 10 3/8" paper and a caption in the artist's hand, this May 27, 1972 New Yorker cartoon was published a few years after Darrow stopped choosing cartoons for one of his clothbound collections, and ten years before he retired, but he hadn't lost his touch, with either a caption or his pictorial strengths. "Woolgathering" is a far wittier choice than "daydreaming" and an expression the monastic brothers didn't have to reach for when discussing Brother Francis, who wasn't at all perturbed to be spoken of within earshot. He seems content, which was probably a goal of his at some point in the past.

"Do you ever get the feeling Brother Francis isn't meditating at all—that he's just woolgathering?"
Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Original art
The New Yorker, May 27, 1972, p. 33

Detail of monks

The signature of Whitney Darrow, Jr.

Detail of bird

Photos courtesy of David from Manhattan

"Do you ever get the feeling Brother Francis isn't meditating at all—that he's just woolgathering?"
Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Original art
The New Yorker, May 27, 1972, p. 33

A spot drawing of the Central Park Zoo by R. MacMillan and a cartoon by Whitney Darrow, Jr.

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1972-05-27/flipbook/032/

Note:  My thanks to David from Manhattan for sharing this original art by Whitney Darrow, Jr., as well as his knowledge of the piece's history. This is David's fifty-sixth contribution to this blog, if I haven't lost count somewhere.

The George Price drawing listed on the Nicholls Gallery invoice from 1983 was posted here on Attempted Bloggery back in 2019. The 1957 Darrow cartoon, alas, is not anywhere on this blog but I'd very much like to hear from whoever has it now.

Cartoon collector Leon F. Thorpe's obituary may be found here. 

The spot drawing of the Central Park Zoo is by R. MacMillan. A print by the artist with a clearer signature may be seen here. I know nothing about this artist and would be grateful for some information.

Spot drawing of the Central Park Zoo
R. MacMillan

04427

Peter Arno: Can War Marriages Be Made to Work?

The EM 30 GI Roundtable published in November of 1944 asks Can War Marriages Be Made to Work? The pamphlet's cover is illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Peter Arno, who would seem to believe that they can. The interior illustrations unfortunatley are not by Arno. The pamphlet is now credited to Clifford Kirkpatrick, Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota. An outstanding scan of the cover is provided by Scott Burns.

Note:  My thanks to Scott Burns for this wonderful image which is completely new to me. This is his eighteenth contribution to the blog. Scott happens to be the compiler of a comprehensive guide to Ralph Steadman's work which you can access here. He is also the responsible party behind Armadillo & Dicker books, a.k.a. Burns Bizarre, a.k.a. Books on Main. Who can keep track of all the names?

So, you ask, can war marriages be made to work? I would hope so. You can read the full text of the pamphlet here.

04426

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #863

A stick figure sits in an office chair for The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #863 from the issue of August 28, 2023. I see this as an interview scenario and my caption is shown below. The drawing is by Mick Stevens.

"You're a difficult candidate to read."

These captions didn't have much meat on the bone:

"I'm afraid I just can't flesh you out."
"Do you think you have the stomach for this work?"
"I suppose I'll still be the face of this department."
"Your work history is a bit sketchy."

September 9, 2023 Update:  The Finalists

September 17, 2023 Update:  I voted for the caption from Boston.

 

September 24, 2023 Update:  The Winner

04425

My Entries in the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for Summer 2023

Moment magazine's Cartoon Caption Contest for the Summer 2023 issue has three older Orthodox Jewish men exploring AIChat, presumably a stand-in for ChatGPT, on a desktop computer. My eight captions are shown below. No artificial intelligence was used in the writing of these entries. The drawing is by Benjamin Schwartz.

"Go ahead. Have it ask us anything."

"Get it to write me a funny line."

"I pronounce it meh."

"So where's the Yiddishkeit?"

"I'd trust my own fashion sense over that thing any day."

"Impressive, sure, but I'm still against counting it in our minyan."

"Now I believe you inquire what it's wearing."

"I hear it can scroll."

September 17, 2023 Update:  The Finalists

November 24, 2023 Update:  The Winner

04424

Julia Suits: Enough

Another New Yorker original by cartoonist Julia Suits was sold recently on eBay by the artist. The drawing, published in 2020, features two house cats contemplating a modernist plastic chair. Originally priced at $1,000, the asking price was eventually reduced to $750 but the art actually sold earlier this month for an undisclosed Best Offer.

"Enough of this. Let's go shred a sofa."
Julia Suits
Framed and glazed original art
The New Yorker, June 29, 2020, p. 65

The scissors are for scale.

Julia Suits
eBay listing ended August 12, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193709710971?hash=item2d19ff9e7b:g:bLgAAOSwSTFfh11T&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8EgzW39xAznnoo%2B%2F1zDabFumkprHg5y1JD2zMCa3j55nnGDiXePdRcyHQCVRAbpuPdWWUa%2F99eiT1hKTDW%2Bc%2Fu6B7U85Rg%2B%2BSGytJ0EQtmDVdvEEpDQ%2B4oyWY2qjyHvX3uev7AB3QCz3Ol

bm5zdhwWhT4FTvpJ6dYtF%2FO8%2FbOKC%2BzvaPh1NsQT7Ka8rMsvp5g4KPqbQRfPeCBkY0iNcvlaeUP2vQHxazGXnLqgyazFJawlqStIIg2LypIz5MtZgl77Hrw3bunTlS%2FPIdVRNdPK0YJ5elaeVcTERASqHe%2FYHPvcGSK7XvaAVTqpaY6ITtaA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4Cgo7XCYg

Julia Suits
eBay item description

"Enough of this. Let's go shred a sofa."
Julia Suits
Framed and glazed original art
The New Yorker, June 29, 2020, p. 65

A spot drawing by Hanna Barczyk and a cartoon by Julia Suits

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2020-06-29/flipbook/64/

That chair looks a lot like this one:

Lexington Modern Modway Paris midcentury modern molded plastic dining armchair with steel metal base in white

https://www.amazon.com/Modway-Mid-Century-Modern-Plastic-Kitchen/dp/B0041H4NL0

A George Floyd protest spot drawing
Hanna Barczyk

Note:  I am always eager to see frest examples of original New Yorker art by Julia Suits and other cartoonists. Cats optional.

04423

Julia Suits: Comparison

Buying original art from the artist who created it is one way to ensure that you're getting what you're paying for. New Yorker cartoonist Julia Suits sold the original art of her most popular cat cartoon on eBay in 2022. Matted and framed, it was initially offered, as I recall, for about $1,000 around January, but the price came down in the ensuing months to $800 and the accepted best offer in July was somewhere below that.

"Comparison is the thief of joy, Mittens."
Julia Suits
Framed and glazed original art
The New Yorker, July 27, 2020, p. 39

"Comparison is the thief of joy, Mittens."
Julia Suits
Original art
The New Yorker, July 27, 2020, p. 39

Julia Suits
eBay listing ended July 22, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193713756712hash=item2d1a3d5a28%3Ag%3ApxYAAOSwGY5fi3n2&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoMXBv3RSgdPsZFCydaDDbDyzBWZV%2BSHaj%2Bfwt7JXzRkZL3mKhpJFaveD97CYBbH9aeBE5YGo3IMIBBprz1OtYVwbU%2BwL8tfZYltVwCnqMD9h1xAz9%2BJsh%2FAmaQnYvRy

UxtynSBBQBObNC0GmfZXLqZlyFeTz3CIxV%2FgU%2BvlOimuoiW7qy7VOujtz5YHtQl9J73xsmMYjubiCK4amMrXFORg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_qvg87nYA&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Julia Suits
eBay item description
"The cat with the little mouse looks sad."

"Comparison is the thief of joy, Mittens."
Julia Suits
Original art
The New Yorker, July 27, 2020, p. 39

A spot drawing by Anthony Russo and a cartoon by Julia Suits

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2020-07-27/flipbook/38/

Spot drawing of a riot policeman with flag accosting an unarmed protester. This was the summer of the George Floyd protests.
Anthony Russo

04422