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| guardian.co.uk |
Ronald Searle, Britain's preeminent cartoonist and caricaturist, died December 30, 2011, in the south of France, at the age of 91. His unique and instantly recognizable style was a huge departure from the editorial, book and advertising illustration of the 1950s, and he quickly became very popular. Besides numerous publications in England, Searle illustrated many covers for the New Yorker, and over 100 books. His work inspired a generation of artists.
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| burtonartgallery.co.uk |
Searle's obituary in the New York Times, which is interesting reading, can be found here, and a blog dedicated entirely to his work can be found here.
I've been following the links and finding that there was quite a lot to Ronald Searle. One site mentioned his admiration of Annibale Carracci, and I could immediately see the connection/influence. Both artists feature odd angles and perspectives, a similar use of crowded detail and open space, and a way of using caricature to show the dark or odd side of things.
ReplyDelete--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Parnassus - One of the things that distinguishes Ronald Searle's work is that he often depicted modern situations with a style that was quite Baroque, literally glorifying his subjects' faults and foibles. I spent some time looking through his work to find a good example of that, and settled on the illustration above.
ReplyDeleteHello Mark:
ReplyDeleteWe completely agree with you. Ronald Searle was indeed a most gifted artist with the ability to capture the very essence of his subjects with a sparsity of line and colour that was quite extraordinary.
We shall always remember him fondly for his St Trinians' work. It captured perfectly several schools in which we have worked in our time!!
I am a fan also, Mark. I'd read about his death and was saddened. Yet, having made it to 91, he would probably have felt that he'd had a big enough bite of life.
ReplyDeleteI've often noticed that working artists tend to live nice long lives. The joy of the work maybe. Or maybe the necessary active imagination. Who knows.
I like the way you used the word 'baroque' to describe Searle's style. Yes. Exactly.
Hello, Jane and Lance:
ReplyDeleteNow there's something to blog about! I trust there were no beheadings at the schools in which you worked!
Hi, Yvette - Another long-lived illustrator/cartoonist/caricaturist was Al Hirschfield — I believe he lived to 100. Yes, there's hope for us yet!
ReplyDeleteA sad au revoir and farewell to Ronald Searle - He was a very unhappy 'Mr. Mole' and really missed his 'Mrs Mole' when she died last summer.
ReplyDeleteSo I understand. My own connection to Ronald Searle was a great appreciation of his work; I've actually learned more about his life in his passing ...
ReplyDeleteIn the 1970s Searle made a drawing each time his wife underwent treatment for cancer, ‘to cheer every dreaded chemotherapy session and evoke the blissful future ahead’. In the drawings he was Mr Mole and Monica was Mrs. Mole. They depict the dilapidated house the Searles had bought together in the south of France a few months before Monica’s diagnosis, and which they restored over the next five years. Following her death a few months ago, Searle published all 47 drawings in a little book called Les Très Riches Heures de Mrs Mole. You can see some of the images on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for filling me in on Mr. and Mrs. Mole. Ronald Searle sounds like a most devoted partner, and his personality shines through on the video of his 90th birthday interview.