What am I still doing here?

Stephen Nadler has blogged about Searle's cover artwork for Roger Lewis' 'What Am I Still Doing Here?'

Mr Lewis was fortunate to keep the artwork and had it and the rough framed

Goodbye Mrs Mole

I was saddened over the summer to hear that Ronald Searle's wife and soulmate of 50 years, Monica, passed away. I had the great privilege of meeting Monica on several occasions and remain ever grateful for having the chance to spend time with a lady of great charm and class. The Daily Mail has ran a touching article with words from Ronald himself.  Read it here






This  report by Derek Brazell of the AOI on a visit with the Searles last summer gives a sense of how pleasurable it was to spend a day with Ronald & Monica.

The Mrs Mole drawings are to be published in the UK on the 27th October. Available from the publisher here

Previous post on the Les tres riche heures de Mrs Mole exhibition at London's Cartoon Museum

Searle's Artistic Heroes

Searle himself has been inspired by a wide array of artists, cartoonist and caricaturists. Searle's own private collection of art contains works by Caracci, Cruickshank, Grosz, Gillray,

There are a handful of key artists and cartoonists whose influence can be detected in his work.
Searle certainly owes a debt to contemporaries such as Andre Francois, Sempe and of course Saul Steinberg.

'Homage au Steinberg'

Through his 50s imprint Perpetua Searle published an academic volume on Toulouse Lautrec and later an illustrated hommage to the short statured ladies man.

In 1977 Searle made a series of studies after Watteau for a medallion design he was working on for the French Mint.

Perhaps Searle's greatest idol is of course Picasso.  He made a couple of Punch covers in a Picasso-esque style and even a series of portraits of Picasso in the style of other modern masters.

Punch 29th June 1960

Photographs of the originals in the Searle Archive, Hanover

Portrait of Picasso in the style of Henry Moore

Portrait of Picasso in the style of Graham Sutherland

Portrait of Picasso in the style of Augustus John

Portrait of Picasso in the style of John Bratby

Punch 24th October 1956

Searle seemed to take great delight in working in a Picasso-like fashion. Punch valued Searle's contribution such that it wouldn't surprise me if it was his idea to make these hommages to the greatest living painter of the time.

A Picasso-esque interpretation of John Everett Millais' 'The Boyhood of Raleigh'

Sir Edwin Landseer's 'Monarch of The Glen' 

Franz Hals' 'Laughing Cavalier'

Ever versatile Searle emulates Francis Bacon and L. S. Lowry for a Punch satirical 'Arts Takeover'

Riffing on Frans Hals' 'The Anatomy Lesson' for the 1955 Punch Almanack's 'Christmas Cards: An Advance Selection II'

'It was Christmas Day in the Workhouse' in the style of Graham Sutherland for the 1955 Punch Almanack

In this illustration for TV Guide again we see Searle using Picasso's motifs, in this case elements of 'Guernica'


See also Stephen Nadler's article on a 'triplicate' cartoon from The New Yorker featuring Searle

Searle & Sheriffs

In this illustration from Punch magazine we see cartoonist Robert Sheriffs commenting on the success of his contemporary's creation around the the release of the first St Trinians film.


'This comes from Punch October 1954. The contrasted brushwork on Searle's hair brows and beard is characteristic Sheriffs - three different ways of drawing in the one image (reproduced originally at 9 x 12 cms).'


Full Table

Double page spread from Punch with theatre caricaturist Searle and Sheriffs covering cinema.  See also Punch Theatre

Again here we have a Sheriffs rendition of Searle's schoolgirls in Blue Murder at St. Trinian's reviewed in Punch January 1st, 1958

These early GRANTA caricatures by Searle even appear to bear a more Sheriffs-like influence.

Updates

Stephen Nadler has another essay on a recent auction of Searle originals here

I've updated the Morbid Anatomies section with hi-res scans from HOLIDAY magazine

Added several more New Yorker Editorial pieces.

Updated the Lilliput Magazine blog with Early Searles

Magazine Illustration Part 4: NEW YORKER magazine COVERS

'They're all against me . . .'

'The Long March'

'Dolce Vita' 

January 1979 Rough 

SIGNED AND DATED 1988

PEN INK WATERCOLOUR AND BODYCOLOUR   17 3/4 X 12 1/4 INCHES

 NEW YORKER , 23 JANUARY 1989 PRELIMINARY FOR COVER

'Catlas'

'Ugh!' 2002, cover rough. 

'The Great Escape', 2002, cover rough. 

Cover rough 2002
pencil, pen and black ink, coloured crayons and watercolour