Miguel Covarrubias was one of the most famous artists of his day, but chances are you’ve never heard of him. Caricaturists know his work- Al Hirschfeld studied under Covarrubias and shared a studio with him in 1924. He spoke of Covarrubias’ talent in the same breath as Daumier and Hogarth. Ethnologists and archaeologists know the name of Covarrubias as well. His analysis of pre-Columbian art and the culture of Bali led to books on the subject that have become classics. And his reputation as an anthropologist rivalled any of his peers in that field. Illustrator, caricaturist, anthropologist, author and educator… It’s high time you knew about Covarrubias too!
At the age of nineteen, Miguel Covarrubias, already a renowned caricaturist in his home country of Mexico, emigrated to New York City. He was an instant sensation, and his illustrations began appearing in New Yorker and Vanity Fair. Fellow Mexican artist, Diego Rivera described his illustrations as "those caustic but implacably good-humored drawings which, fortunately for his personal safety, people have been misled into calling caricatures. In Covarrubias’ art there is no vicious cruelty, it is all irony untainted with malice; a humor that is young and clean; a precise and well defined plasticity.”
Most of the caricatures from Vanity Fair below depict unlikely pairs of public figures. Click on the links to the Wikipedia entries on these people and see why Covarrubias put them together.
Jim Londos & Herbert Hoover
(Vanity Fair, August 1932)
Senator Smith W. Brookhart & Marlene Dietrich
(Vanity Fair, September 1932)
Al Capone & Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes
(Vanity Fair, October 1932)
Clark Gable & Edward, Prince of Wales
(Vanity Fair, November 1932)
Ex-King Alfonso & James J. Walker
(Vanity Fair, December 1932)
Mrs. Ella Boole & Miss Texas Guinan
(Vanity Fair, January 1933)
Arthur Brisbane & The Sphinx
(Vanity Fair, May 1933)
Emily Post
(Vanity Fair, December 1933)
Admiral Richard E. Byrd
(Vanity Fair, December 1934)
Sally Rand & Martha Graham
(Vanity Fair, December 1934)
Dr. Samuel Johnson & Alexander Woolcott
(Vanity Fair, March 1935)
Auguste Piccard & William Beebe
(Vanity Fair, April 1935)
Covarrubias was much more than just an illustrator and caricaturist though. His books on Bali and Mexico revealed a careful analytical mind with an eye for detail. The following article from an arts magazine from 1948 encompasses the latter part of Covarrubias’ career…
By Henry C. Pitz (January 1948)
Many thanks to the ever-faithful supporter of Animation Resources, Kent Butterworth for sharing this wonderful material from his own collection with us.
Stephen Worth
Director
Animation Resources
This posting is part of the online Encyclopedia of Cartooning under the subject heading, Magazine Cartoons.
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