John Bull Chastises Uncle Sam. New Canaan, circa 1947.
SZYK, Arthur. John Bull Chastises Uncle Sam. (New Canaan, circa 1947.) Pencil and ink on paper. Measures 6 3/8″ x 9″. Image size: 4 3/4″ x 6″. Very Good condition.
In the drawing John Bull chastises Uncle Sam, Szyk delineates the basic structure of a political cartoon, leaving the written punch-line that usually accompanied his compositions unfinished. However, Szyk composes his drawing with such narrative clarity that we can almost imagine the punch-line ourselves. The gestures and expressions of John Bull and Uncle Sam clearly communicate the verbal interchange between the two characters. Uncle Sam sits at left, leaning his hand on his knee as though lost in thought. He is slender, and smartly dressed in rolled-up shirtsleeves, vest, and necktie. His face is stern, his eyes looking out from beneath a furrowed brow, indicating the gravity of his ruminations. John Bull is rendered mostly in pencil, with his face outlined boldly in black ink. He is grossly rotund, with a shrunken, apelike head. His jacket hangs open, revealing his bulging chest, which he thrusts towards Uncle Sam. Bull leans on his cane with his left hand, and jabs an accusatory finger at Uncle Sam with his right hand. His mouth hangs agape, as though in the midst of delivering an unwelcome diatribe.
During the war, Szyk’s portrayals of John Bull were sympathetic or even laudatory. He admired the courage and tenacity of the British soldiers. This drawing represents a marked contrast to his earlier views—John Bull is a physically repulsive, bullying cripple. Although no specific evidence exists to explain this change of attitude, it is likely this cartoon was meant as a critique of Britain’s policies in Palestine. Szyk was very critical of Britain’s unwillingness to open Palestine to Jewish settlement, and in his cartoons he often vilified Ernest Bevin, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for his position supporting the creation of an Arab-ruled state in western Palestine.
Provenance: Alexandra Szyk Bracie, daughter of Arthur Szyk.
