William Steig's art seems to maintain a Depression Era sensibility even in the postwar period. An endearing cartoon of his was published in the
New Yorker of June 6, 1953 and any reader who thought it was from two decades earlier could be forgiven. That fall the original art was exhibited by Mr. Steig at the Fifty-First Annual Water Color and Print Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Water Color Club from October 18 through November 22. Back in those days, apparently, watercolor was two words and "black and white" described a medium you could freely exhibit at a watercolor and print show. Hear, hear.
The cartoon is distinctive for its atypical display of affection. The couple on the couch are two ordinary, working-class people who do not necessarily conform to anyone's romantic ideal. Nevertheless, the tenant and the housekeeper have found something special in each other even though they do not resemble the big screen idols of the 1950s any more than they do those of today. Their relationship is primal and spontaneous, existing on a different plane than the landlord and his lease agreement. The drawing is both funny and sweet in a way that few other than Bill Steig could pull off.
The landlord is appropriately upright and pinstriped. The couple leans away from him at the same angle as the housekeeper's broom. The couch is not drawn flat against the wall but instead creates a rudimentary two-point perspective. This serves to lead the eye from left to right as we take in the scene, while the sides of the couch along with the seated man's thigh, the dust brush, and the band on the broom all lead the eye back to the landlord. It's a tour-de-force, but most readers would have been laughing too hard to notice.
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William Steig, "The agreement as I remember it, Mr. Plitz, was for room
and board and telephone privileges!"
Original art, The New Yorker, June 6, 1953, page 99
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EBay Listing as of October 10, 2015
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| Left half of eBay item description |
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| Right half of eBay item description |
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William Steig, "The agreement as I remember it, Mr. Plitz, was for room and board and telephone privileges!"
Original art, The New Yorker, June 6, 1953, page 99 |
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| The New Yorker, June 6, 1953 |
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William Steig, "The agreement as I remember it, Mr. Plitz, was
for room and board and telephone privileges!"
The New Yorker, June 6, 1953, page 99
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William Steig, "The agreement as I remember it, Mr. Plitz, was
for room and board and telephone privileges!"
The New Yorker, June 6, 1953, page 99
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Note: I'm always happy to show off examples of original
New Yorker art and, for that matter, just about anything from the hand of
William Steig.
Attempted Bloggery's quick links as I remember them, Mr. Plitz:
02069
