Vanity Fair Men of the Day, No. 33, Natural Selection 1871

Curator: This drawing, titled "Vanity Fair Men of the Day, No. 33, Natural Selection," was created by James Tissot in 1871 using pen and ink. It depicts Charles Darwin as a caricature. What immediately strikes you about the piece? Editor: Well, aside from the rather exaggerated features which make it a clear caricature, I notice the contrast in textures, particularly in Darwin’s beard compared to the smooth fabric of his coat. What do you see in it? Curator: What's crucial to understand is how this image functions within its original context, which is the print run of Vanity Fair magazine. This wasn't a precious object for a gallery; it was mass-produced, circulated, consumed, and then likely discarded. Consider the means of its production—lithography—allowing for widespread distribution to a growing literate public, shaping perceptions of Darwin and his theories. How does thinking about the materiality and consumption of this print change your perspective? Editor: That’s a good point. Thinking of it as something disposable kind of changes the tone of the caricature. If it were a precious object, the caricature might be seen as malicious, but because it was printed in a magazine it makes it more playful or at least satirical. Was this image challenging ideas of ‘high art’? Curator: Precisely. It complicates the notion of high art by blending portraiture, caricature, and mass media. Tissot was, after all, a very well-known artist doing a drawing for a publication with pretty wide distribution, and it challenged traditional portraiture by democratizing representation. This caricature then is available for popular consumption in a time where ideas about class and culture are being challenged in England. Editor: That’s fascinating. Considering the process of creation and its distribution really puts a new spin on my understanding. It wasn't just about representing Darwin, it was about circulating ideas and constructing public image. Curator: Exactly, by questioning the artwork in its social, political, and economic framework we see its complexity and intention as an artifact.