March 3 Ronald Searle's birthday!

Thee exhibition at the Wilhelm Busch mseum, Hanover celebrating the centenary of Searle's birth was delayed last year due to Covid but is now open through May. There's a focus on different aspects of Searle's career including animation.

Searle's Favorite Painting

One of the 20th century's greatest cartoonists chose his favourite painting for Country Life.

This week, we delve into the Country Life archive for our My Favourite Painting column — back to 2010 when we spoke to cartoonist Ronald Searle as he approached his 90th birthday. Mr Searle died on December 30, 2011, at the age of 91.

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Ronald Searle on Vauxhall Gardens, 1784 by Thomas Rowlandson

‘Obsessed as I am with the magical, satirical pen line, I am very much aware of its roots – its forebears, those who created it with genius: Hogarth, Gillray, Rowlandson, Cruikshank. But if I must declare a favourite, I confess that I feel closest to Rowlandson.

‘That living line, that freshness of colour, that beautiful reflection of rural nature, all stirred in with a penetrating dissection of character. It all comes together beautifully in Vauxhall Gardens.’

From Country Life