Poincaré en Bonar Law 1923

Patricq Kroon made this cartoon, Poincaré en Bonar Law, with ink on paper; it’s all about the bold lines and the stark contrast between black and white. You can see the artist is having fun with the shapes and forms, pushing them, exaggerating them. The ink is laid down in confident strokes, thick in places, thin in others. The way the ink bleeds slightly into the paper gives it this immediate, almost urgent feel. Look at the background, the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance, it’s just a few quick scribbles, but it’s enough to set the scene. The faces! I love how they're rendered with these bold, simple lines. The artist isn't trying to capture a perfect likeness, it’s more about capturing the essence of these political figures, their personalities. Kroon reminds me a bit of Daumier, another artist who used caricature to make social commentary. But while Daumier was more about realism, Kroon is embracing the absurd. He's not afraid to push the boundaries of representation, and that's what makes his work so engaging.