Attempted Bloggery

Monday, April 15, 2013

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #376

Here then is my second entry ever in The New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest. This is contest #376 for April 15, 2013. I seem to be appropriating the late Roger Ebert's practice of publishing his own entries in the caption contest. Unfortunately, I'm not as clever as he was, but I'll give it a go for a while just the same. The cartoon is by Tom Toro.

"That's funny. I'm of two minds about this myself."

April 22, 2013 Update: The Finalists

May 6, 2013 Update: The Winning Caption

Note: Last week's entry can be found here.

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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Tax Day

In the United States, federal income tax needs to be filed by tomorrow, April 15. Back in 1937 when this New Yorker cover by Constantin Alajálov was published, the income tax was due on March 15. As you can see, at the time people were as conflicted as they are today about having to pay it.

Constantin Alajálov
The New Yorker, March 13, 1937

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-New-Yorker-Original-Issue-of-March-13-1937-Cover-Art-by-Alajalov-/271134129820?pt=Magazines&hash=item3f20da7e9c&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

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Saturday, April 13, 2013

My Kind of Fortune

I was lucky enough to receive this fortune last weekend. While I realize it's nothing personal, I'd still like to imagine some fortune cookie writer is giving a thumbs-up to my blog.

"Your wisdom is a treasure for all time."

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Friday, April 12, 2013

Frank Brangwyn's Old Salts

Sir Frank Brangwyn's black and white oil paint story illustration for "Captain Dick and Captain Jacka" was sold twice at Illustration House on December 6, 2008 (Lot 33) and on June 25, 2011 (Lot 65). It was published as a color illustration, improbably, in the December 1898 issue of The Graphic.

Frank Brangwyn, Illustration from "Captain Dick and Captain Jacka"

http://www.illustration-house.com/exhib/a43/a43pages/a43_065.html

http://www.illustrationhouse.com/current/a38/a38pages/a38_033.html

The Back of the Frame

Frank Brangwyn, Framed Illustration from "Captain Dick and Captain Jacka"

Frank Brangwyn, Captain Dick and Captain Jacka
Chromolithograph

Image added April 10, 2017

http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/U239253/Captain-Dick-and-Captain-Jacka?img=4&search=Captain+Dick&bool=phrase

This painting had already been sold in Chicago earlier in 2008 as "Old Salts," which is the title in the plate on the frame.

Frank Brangwyn, Illustration from "Captain Dick and Captain Jacka"

F.B. '97

"Old Salts"
Sir Frank Brangwyn
1867-1956

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5176487

http://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/1898-GRAPHIC-Hugh-Thomson-Brock-Brangwyn-H-G-Wells-/260279381725

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1898-graphic-xmas-g-wells-frank-160493246

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Ronald Searle's Painting Pig

Ronald Searle, Ausstellung Ronald Searle 11.Oktober - 10.November 1973, Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt, München. Original Art for Poster. Private Collection.

For a while in the 1960's, Ronald Searle was represented regularly by several galleries in different European cities. Galerie La Pochade showed his work in Paris starting in 1966. The same year, Wolfgang Gurlitt started showing his work in Linz at his Neue Galerie, and the following year in Munich at Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt. According to John Locke, Searle's American agent at the time, his relationship with the Galerie La Pochade ended in a dispute over some $20,000 they owed him. This would have been around 1971 or later.

The Gurlitt gallery published a catalogue of Searle's prints in 1971 and it remains the only authoritative source on Searle's lithographs from 1966 to 1971. They were still exhibiting his work in the fall of 1973 when this extraordinary ink illustration was created for an exhibition poster. I believe this is unusual. Typically Searle would have taken a contemporary image he was already working on with his lithographer, usually Michel Cassé in Paris. When the lithograph was completed, he would create a promotional poster version, sometimes changing the orientation and always adding his unmistakeable lettering. The poster might be issued in an edition of anywhere from 25 to 100, generally unsigned and unnumbered, although on occasion in a large run the first 25 might be signed and numbered, and sometimes there were an additional ten artist's proofs identified with roman numerals. This time, though, he created an original drawing specifically for the exhibition poster and, as usual, it is extraordinary.

Ronald Searle, Ausstellung Ronald Searle 11.Oktober - 10.November 1973, Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt, München. Exhibition Poster.

http://ronaldsearle.blogspot.com/2013/03/pigs.html

Ronald Searle, Ausstellung Ronald Searle 11.Oktober - 10.November 1973, Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt, München. Original Art for Poster. Private Collection.

Note: Perpetua, Matt Jones's indispensable Ronald Searle tribute blog, recently published a very exhaustive post on Searle's pigs. Go the whole hog and be sure not to miss it.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Edward Gorey's Little Black Dress

Edward Gorey, man of fashion, spells it all out in black for a 2000 show at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Edward Gorey, "The Little Black Dress and Other Signs of Status" at F.I.T.,
The New Yorker, March 27, 2000, Page 19

The New Yorker, March 27, 2000, Page 18

Edward Gorey, "The Little Black Dress and Other Signs of Status" at F.I.T.,
The New Yorker, March 27, 2000, Page 19

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Saul Steinberg: Two Landscapes

Two watercolor landscapes by Saul Steinberg were sold yesterday at Doyle in New York. For Mombasa (1969), Steinberg has chosen some fairly unremarkable white structures and boldly emblazoned them with contrasting black windows and doorways. The landscape colors are muted, although the watercolor technique is quite dramatic in the upper image. The composition is unified with a series of vertical poles, and rubber stamp images of standing figures and crocodiles. Present also are Steinberg's trademark fanciful inscriptions and official-appearing rubber stamp imprints.

By comparison, Ten Sunsets (1970) is more colorful, more fanciful, and overall less unified. Gold foil adds a prominent collage element. This is clearly the more desirable of the two Steinberg works, but it is not necessarily the better value. It sold for five times what Mombasa brought.

Both these works were included in the 2009 show "Saul Steinberg Landscapes" at the Adam Baumgold Gallery in New York. At this exhibition, Ten Sunsets appeared with the title The Postcard Theory.

Saul Steinberg, Mombasa, 1969

http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++460+&refno=++908291


Saul Steinberg, Mombasa, 1969, Doyle, April 8, 2013 http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++460+&refno=++908291

****

Saul Steinberg, Ten Sunsets, 1970

http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++461+&refno=++908294

Saul Steinberg, Ten Sunsets, 1970, Doyle, April 8, 2013

http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++461+&refno=++908294

Saul Steinberg, Mombasa, 1969

http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++460+&refno=++908291

Saul Steinberg, Ten Sunsets, 1970

http://www.doylenewyork.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=13DD01+++461+&refno=++908294

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Monday, April 8, 2013

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #375

Here is my entry for The New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest #375 for April 8, 2013. I never entered before, and never even came close to conceiving a caption. Lately, though, I've been having some fun submitting entries on Danny Shanahan's new monthly cartoon caption contest, so many in fact that he may have to modify the rules on multiple entries. Anyway, I thought I'd try the big time.

I imagine there will be quite a few more entries than usual this week. Many people have been reading about the late Roger Ebert and his weekly entries to The New Yorker's caption contest, one of which won and at least one more of which certainly could have won. I have no such high expectations for my own entry, but at least I finally made a submission. The lovely drawing, of course, is by Victoria Roberts.

"I really appreciate all your empathy, Doc. My last
analyst was an egg beater."

April 15, 2013 Update: The Finalists

April 29, 2013 Update: The Winning Caption

Note: My book review of The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest Book (2008) is right here.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

An Art Spiegelman Display Piece

Maus creator Art Spiegelman signed this 1999 San Diego Comic Con display card for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and added a drawing. This unique piece sold on eBay for just over $200.