Satire: A timeless art

Satirical artwork has played a very important role in media over the years and have tackled difficult subjects relevant to their given time. So with this in mind, this exhibit is to see how art has taken a stance on the problems of its time and has incorporated humor to prove its point. Satirical images are very powerful and are used to provoke an immediate response from the viewer, which in the fast paced world of politics, is a very useful skill. Artists saw newspapers and art exhibits as a place where they could successfully reveal their art, and audiences would react because of the relevance of the images. Those not educated in the art world may only see art as an outlet for landscape and portraits, but in actuality art has played a large role in criticing society and the major issues of their respective times. To understand political images, one must see the evolution of them and how the have changed and how they have stayed the same. In this exhibit viewers will be able to see how artistic style has changed over the years as well and how each piece adapts well to the style of the culture it was produced in.

Pieter van der Heyden, The Battle about Money, after 1570, engraving; second state of four, 26.72.40 

The Battle about Money is the art piece I have been studying all semester. What is fascinating about this piece is that it was made around 1570, which I never knew satirical pieces went back that far. This piece of art takes the idea of the human life in war and reduces it to a price, that is portrayed by men in treasure chests and pots bleeding money. As a viewer, I saw this piece to be compelling as it not only takes a stance on war and how expensive it is, but it reduces the human life in a way that is comical.

Andries Both, Diablerie: A Satire on the Medical Profession, 1612­-1641, Pen and brown ink, 2001.114 

Diablerie: A Satire on the Medical Profession comes shortly after The Battle about Money and portrays a group of doctors as demonic beings who seem to be examining a skull. This pokes fun at the medical world of the 17th century. Even in the 21st century, satirical pieces are produced that contain medical professionals, so it is clear to see this is a popular topic that has been addressed throughout the years. This piece does an excellent job of evoking an immediate response from the viewer because of how straightforward the image is.

William Hogarth, The Political Clyster, 1757, Etching and engraving; second state of three, 91.1.61 

The Political Clyster by William Hogarth is an excellent representation of crude satire and while addressing a particular message, also takes the humor aspect to a new level. Inspired by

Gulliver’s Travels, this piece is to show that the Whig party of England is deluding the country. While a little more risque than the other pieces in this exhibit, this piece is very similar to the rest in that it evokes an immediate humorous response from the viewers while it takes a stance on politics of its time period. 

Currier & Ives,The True Issue or “Thats Whats the Matter”,1864, Lithograph, 24.63.208 

The True Issue or “Thats Whats the Matter” is the first piece of art in this exhibit where we see historical figures portrayed. This particular piece contains Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and General George Brinton McClellan, all prominent figures during the American Civil War. The picture depicts president Abraham Lincoln pulling the north side of a map of the United States and confederate president Jefferson Davis pulling the south side of the map, and features General McClellan in the middle grabbing both of them by their collars in an effort to end the conflict. Unlike the other pieces, this piece also contains dialogue, with McClellan stating, “T​he Union must be preserved at all hazards!”, Lincoln shouts, “No peace without abolition.”, and Davis exclaims, “No peace without Separation!!”.

 William Gropper, The Southern Senator, 1940­-3, Oil on board, James A. Michener Art Museum 

The Southern Senator by William Gropper is another American piece in this exhibit that takes aim at American politics. For Gropper his main target is a southern senator who he depicts as laid back, as he is reclined and smoking a cigar, balding, and overweight. Gropper obviously does not have a high view of southerners or their politicians, and it becomes evident through this piece. This is the first piece in this exhibit that uses color, as it is oil on board, and uses a interesting color scheme consisting of maroon, green and blue for the office of the senator. 

Norman Rockwell, Thanksgiving Ye Glutton, 1923, Oil on canvas, Norman Rockwell Museum 

Our final piece is Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving Ye Glutton, which was featured on the cover of Life magazine. Thanksgiving Ye Glutton depicts a man dressed in 17th century garb while in a holding stock and a sign with the words, “Ye Glutton” written on it and, “Thanksgiving” at the bottom of the cover page. Rockwell takes a stance on glutton as he depicts a skinny man being shamed for glutton, making it a title anyone can fall under. With examining this Rockwell, we see that satirical images have changed in style and form, but content stays the same for the most part, with topics such as politics, medicine and irony, satirical works have been staples in every culture this exhibit examines.