A lovely, framed piece of preliminary
New Yorker art by
Barbara Shermund was sold on eBay in March. Such preliminary artwork lets us compare the artist's original conception of the cartoon with the final published 1934 version incorporating editorial changes. Along the way to publication, the big-game hunter's name is changed from the made-up Mr. Macspratton to the more plausible Mr. Mackintosh. The hunter's position has become more central in the published version where he holds up his rifle to demonstrate his shooting stance. As a result of this change, the speaker addressing her dog Toby, in order for us to see her, has to lean down a bit, which works well as it brings her closer to the dog. The overall result is a more dynamic composition in the published drawing, albeit a little less subtle.
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
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| Detail |
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| The hand-written caption |
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| Sticker on back of frame |
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
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| Back of frame |
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
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| EBay Item Ending March 28, 2015 |
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EBay Item Description
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23
[End of eBay listing]
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby, Mr. Mackintosh won't hurt you."
The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby, Mr. Mackintosh won't hurt you."
The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
May 26, 2016 Update: This Barbara Shermund piece has been resold. The eBay seller has incorporated my images of the published
New Yorker cartoon in the listing as well as my text comparing the preliminary art with the published art, lifted almost verbatim from this post without credit. The artwork has been removed from the good-looking frame and sold at a Buy It Now price that is double the original sale price.
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23
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| Barbara Shermund's signature |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23 |
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby, Mr. Mackintosh won't hurt you."
The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23
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Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby, Mr. Mackintosh won't hurt you."
The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23
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eBay Listing Ended May 6, 2016
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eBay Item Description
I couldn't have said it better myself |
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eBay Bid History
The buyer used the Buy It Now option at a premium of $100 |
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| Image added May 28, 2016 |
Note: Many thanks to
Michael Maslin for bringing this eBay item to my attention. Be sure to check out his
Ink Spill blog and stay up to date with news about
New Yorker cartoonists.
Take aim at my blog archives which have more work by
Barbara Shermund, I'm happy to say.
Then you may hunt for the older posts featuring
preliminary New Yorker cartoon art.
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