The Art of Controversy : Political Cartoons and Their Enduring Power

A lavishly illustrated, witty, and original look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of __The New York Times Magazine__ and the longtime editor of __The Nation,__Victor S. Navasky knows just how transformative—and incendiary—cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever created, including those by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honor**é**Daumier, and Ralph Steadman. He recounts how cartoonists and caricaturists have been censored, threatened, incarcerated, and even murdered for their art, and asks what makes this art form, too often dismissed as trivial, so uniquely poised to affect our minds and our hearts.Drawing on his own encounters with would-be censors, interviews with cartoonists, and historical archives from cartoon museums across the globe, Navasky examines the political cartoon as both art and polemic over the centuries. We see afresh images most celebrated for their artistic merit (Picasso's __Guernica,__ Goya's "Duendecitos"), images that provoked outrage (the 2008 Barry Blitt __New Yorker__ cover, which depicted the Obamas as a Muslim and a Black Power militant fist-bumping in the Oval Office), and those that have dictated public discourse (Herblock’s defining portraits of McCarthyism, the Nazi periodical __Der Stürmer__’s anti-Semitic caricatures). Navasky ties together these and other superlative genre examples to reveal how political cartoons have been not only capturing the zeitgeist throughout history but shaping it as well—and how the most powerful cartoons retain the ability to shock, gall, and inspire long after their creation.Here Victor S. Navasky brilliantly illuminates the true power of one of our most enduringly vital forms of artistic expression.

A lavishly illustrated, witty, and original look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse.

As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, Victor S. Navasky knows just how transformative—and incendiary—cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever created, including those by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honoré Daumier, and Ralph Steadman.  He recounts how cartoonists and caricaturists have been censored, threatened, incarcerated, and even murdered for their art, and asks what makes this art form, too often dismissed as trivial, so uniquely poised to affect our minds and our hearts.

Drawing on his own encounters with would-be censors, interviews with cartoonists, and historical archives from cartoon museums across the globe, Navasky examines the political cartoon as both art and polemic over the centuries. We see afresh images most celebrated for their artistic merit (Picasso's Guernica, Goya's "Duendecitos"), images that provoked outrage (the 2008 Barry Blitt New Yorker cover, which depicted the Obamas as a Muslim and a Black Power militant fist-bumping in the Oval Office), and those that have dictated public discourse (Herblock’s defining portraits of McCarthyism, the Nazi periodical Der Stürmer’s anti-Semitic caricatures). Navasky ties together these and other superlative genre examples to reveal how political cartoons have been not only capturing the zeitgeist throughout history but shaping it as well—and how the most powerful cartoons retain the ability to shock, gall, and inspire long after their creation.

Here Victor S. Navasky brilliantly illuminates the true power of one of our most enduringly vital forms of artistic expression.

A lavishly illustrated, witty, and original look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, Victor S. Navasky knows just how transformative—and incendiary—cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever created, including those by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honor é Daumier, and Ralph Steadman. He recounts how cartoonists and caricaturists have been censored, threatened, incarcerated, and even murdered for their art, and asks what makes this art form, too often dismissed as trivial, so uniquely poised to affect our minds and our hearts. Drawing on his own encounters with would-be censors, interviews with cartoonists, and historical archives from cartoon museums across the globe, Navasky examines the political cartoon as both art and polemic over the centuries. We see afresh images most celebrated for their artistic merit (Picasso's Guernica, Goya's "Duendecitos"), images that provoked outrage (the 2008 Barry Blitt New Yorker cover, which depicted the Obamas as a Muslim and a Black Power militant fist-bumping in the Oval Office), and those that have dictated public discourse (Herblock’s defining portraits of McCarthyism, the Nazi periodical Der Stürmer ’s anti-Semitic caricatures). Navasky ties together these and other superlative genre examples to reveal how political cartoons have been not only capturing the zeitgeist throughout history but shaping it as well—and how the most powerful cartoons retain the ability to shock, gall, and inspire long after their creation. Here Victor S. Navasky brilliantly illuminates the true power of one of our most enduringly vital forms of artistic expression.

This book offers readers a look at the power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, the author knows just how incendiary, and transformative, cartoons can be. Here he guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever sketched, by such artists as: George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honore Daumier, Thomas Nast, Ralph Steadman, and others, as he asks what makes cartoons so uniquely positioned to affect our minds and our hearts. Drawing on his own enounters with would-be censors, interviews with cartoonists, and historical archives from cartoon museums across the globe, he examines the political cartoon as both art and polemic over the centuries. Incorporating neuroscience, psychology, and a sweeping historical view of the cartoon's evolution, this is a book for all lovers of satire, politics, and the art form of the political cartoon. "A lavishly illustrated, witty, and learned look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, Victor Navasky knows just how incendiary--and transformative--cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever sketched--by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honore Daumier, Thomas Nast, Ralph Steadman, et al.--as he asks what makes cartoons so uniquely positioned to affect our minds and our hearts. Incorporating neuroscience, psychology, and a sweeping historical view of the cartoon's evolution, The Art of Controversy is a book for all lovers of satire, politics, and the vastly underappreciated and endlessly surprising art form of the political cartoon."-- Provided by publisher "A lavishly illustrated, witty, and learned look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, Victor Navasky knows just how incendiary--and transformative--cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever sketched - by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honore Daumier, Thomas Nast, Ralph Steadman... et alii - as he asks what makes cartoons so uniquely positioned to affect our minds and our hearts. Incorporating neuroscience, psychology, and a sweeping historical view of the cartoon's evolution, «The Art of Controversy» is a book for all lovers of satire, politics, and the vastly underappreciated and endlessly surprising art form of the political cartoon" The cartoon as content The cartoon as image The cartoon as stimulus Caricature The Gallery. William Hogarth ; James Gillray ; Francisco Goya ; Charles Philipon ; Honoré Daumier ; Thomas Nast ; Pablo Picasso ; The Masses: Art Young and Robert Minor ; Käthe Kollwitz ; George Grosz ; John Heartfield ; Der Stürmer ; David Low ; Philip Zec ; Victor Weisz (Vicky) ; Bill Mauldin ; Herbert Block (Herblock) ; Al Hirschfeld ; Raymond Jackson (Jak) ; Ralph Steadman ; Robert Edwards ; Naji al-Ali Edward Sorel ; Robert Grossman ; Steve Platt and the New Statesman ; The New Yorker images ; Doug Marlette ; Plantu and the Danish Muhammads ; Qaddafi and the Bulgarians ; Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro) ; David Levine.