National Doctors' Day: Making the Diagnosis With P. C. Vey

Today on National Doctors' Day we honor physicians for the essential work they do. P. C. Vey's original cartoon art for The New Yorker is presented here in acknowledgement of this noble tradition. The drawing was consigned to Swann Auction Galleries by Cartoon Collections in 2019 for the December Illustration Art sale.

"Oh, I do love a mystery."
P. C. Vey
Original art
The New Yorker, September 21, 2015, p. 72

P. C. Vey
Hammer price
Swann Auction Galleries Illustration Art sale of December 10, 2019, Lot 275

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/THE-NEW-YORKER-PC-VEY-I-do-love-a-mystery?saleno=2526&lotNo=275&refNo=766383

Price realized with buyer's premium

The cartoon in the present lot was published by The New Yorker in 2015.

"Oh, I do love a mystery."
P. C. Vey
Original art
The New Yorker, September 21, 2015, p. 72

A cartoon by P. C. Vey

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2015-09-21/flipbook/72/

Those who purchased a Cartoons from The New Yorker 2018 calendar may also recall the drawing, which was featured prominently on the front of the box.

04274

Shannon Wheeler: Murder Mystery

In 2019, Cartoon Collections (now CartoonStock) consigned a number of pieces of original New Yorker cartoon art to Swann Auction Galleries for their semiannual Illustration Art sale. Among them was this gem from Shannon Wheeler:

"Any clues?"

Shannon Wheeler

Original art

The New Yorker, January 30, 2012, page 39

Original New Yorker art by P. C. Vey, Shannon Wheeler, and Jack Ziegler were offered in the sale. These were consigned by Cartoon Collections, which also represented other New Yorker cartoonists in the sale.

Original New Yorker cartoon art by P. C. Vey, Shannon Wheeler, and Jack Ziegler on display at Swann Auction Galleries in 2019 before the sale

Shannon Wheeler
Hammer price
Swann Auction Galleries Illustration Art sale of December 10, 2019, Lot 277

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/THE-NEW-YORKER-SHANNON-WHEELER-Any-Clues?saleno=2526&lotNo=277&refNo=766374

Price realized with buyer's premium

The cartoon was published in The New Yorker in 2012:

"Any clues?
Shannon Wheeler
Original art
The New Yorker, January 30, 2012, page 39

A cartoon by Shannon Wheeler

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2012-01-30/flipbook/038/

04273

Book Review: Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann

Three Bags Full:  A Sheep Detective Story (2005, English Translation by Anthea Bell 2006)

Leonie Swan

I find it hard to praise a book it took me seven long and painful months to plod through. In truth, I had expected to be completely delighted with Leonie Swann's first novel Three Bags Full. Carl Hiaasen, trusted author of any number of offbeat but reliably amusing novels, has a glowing cover blurb above the title. How could I go wrong?

The premise seemed both promising and original: a flock of sheep set out to solve the murder of their shepherd. One of the sheep, the cleverest, is named Miss Maple. It sounds like a lot of fun, right?

Wrong! First off, I did not find the sheep endearing in the slightest. I cared for the human characters even less. I kept expecting some big payoff, but all I encountered was a meandering flock and a meandering, tedious tale. It's not that the writing or even the translation were really bad--they weren't--but rather that I found the whole confection utterly boring.

0525