Oscar Cesare
Encyclopedia
Oscar Cesare was a Swedish-born American caricaturist, painter
, draftsman and editorial cartoonist
.
. At eighteen he moved to Paris to study art, then traveled to Buffalo, New York, to continue his studies. In 1903 he moved to Chicago, and by 1911 he was living in New York City.
in 1906. By 1913, his success as an illustrator allowed him to exhibit at the legendary 1913 Armory Show
. Cesare worked at several publications throughout his career, including the Chicago Tribune
, New York World
, New York Sun, New York Evening Post, Our World, The Century Magazine
, Bookman
, Outlook
, Nation's Business, Literary Digest
, Fortune
, and The New Yorker
. In 1920, he became a regular contributor to the Sunday magazine of the New York Times and continued until a few years before his death in 1948.
In October 1922 Cesare had the very rare privilege of gaining admittance to the Kremlin
to paint sketches of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin
.
He was also able to make sketches of Leon Trotsky
on the same trip.
. He adopted the grease crayon
technique that had been adopted by other radical cartoonists such as Boardman Robinson
, Robert Minor
, K. R. Chamberlain, and Rollin Kirby
.
. They divorced four years later.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, draftsman and editorial cartoonist
Editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary....
.
Early life
Cesare was born in Linköping, SwedenLinköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
. At eighteen he moved to Paris to study art, then traveled to Buffalo, New York, to continue his studies. In 1903 he moved to Chicago, and by 1911 he was living in New York City.
Career
One of his first jobs was illustrating The King of Gee-Whiz by Emerson HoughEmerson Hough
Emerson Hough was an American author best known for writing western stories and historical novels.-Career:Hough was born in Newton, Iowa on June 28, 1857. He was in Newton High School's first graduating class of three in 1875. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in...
in 1906. By 1913, his success as an illustrator allowed him to exhibit at the legendary 1913 Armory Show
Armory Show
Many exhibitions have been held in the vast spaces of U.S. National Guard armories, but the Armory Show refers to the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art that was organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors...
. Cesare worked at several publications throughout his career, including the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
, New York Sun, New York Evening Post, Our World, The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine...
, Bookman
The Bookman (New York)
The Bookman was a literary journal established in 1895 by Dodd, Mead and Company. It drew its name from the phrase, "I am a Bookman," by James Russell Lowell; the phrase regularly appeared on the cover and title page of the bound edition. It was purchased in 1918 by the George H. Doran Company. In...
, Outlook
The Outlook (New York)
The Outlook was a weekly magazine, published in New York City.-History:In 1900, the ranking weekly journals of news and opinion were The Independent , The Nation , the Outlook , and in a different class or with a different emphasis, The Literary Digest .-Notable contributors:*Theodore Roosevelt...
, Nation's Business, Literary Digest
Literary Digest
The Literary Digest was an influential general interest weekly magazine published by Funk & Wagnalls. Founded by Isaac Kaufmann Funk in 1890, it eventually merged with two similar weekly magazines, Public Opinion and Current Opinion.-History:...
, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, and The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. In 1920, he became a regular contributor to the Sunday magazine of the New York Times and continued until a few years before his death in 1948.
In October 1922 Cesare had the very rare privilege of gaining admittance to the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
to paint sketches of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
.
He was also able to make sketches of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
on the same trip.
Style
Cesare was active in opposing World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He adopted the grease crayon
Grease pencil
The grease pencil, a wax writing tool also known as a wax pencil, china marker, , is made of hardened colored wax and is useful for marking on hard, glossy non-porous surfaces such as porcelain, glass, polished stone, plastic, ceramics and other glazed, lacquered or polished surfaces, as well as...
technique that had been adopted by other radical cartoonists such as Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson was a Canadian-American artist, illustrator and cartoonist.-Early years:Boardman Robinson was born September 6, 1876 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He spent his childhood in England and Canada, before coming to Boston in the first half of the 1890s...
, Robert Minor
Robert Minor
Robert Berkeley "Bob" Minor was political cartoonist, a radical journalist, and a leading member of the American Communist Party.-Early life:...
, K. R. Chamberlain, and Rollin Kirby
Rollin Kirby
Rollin Kirby was an American political cartoonist. In 1922 he was chronologically the first winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, an honor that he would receive three times....
.
Personal life
On July 15, 1916, Cesare married Margaret Porter, the daughter of the American writer O. HenryO. Henry
O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
. They divorced four years later.
External links
- Works by Cesare @ Library of Congress