Marionette 1935 - 1942

Curator: What a quirky piece. I'm immediately drawn to this figure. Editor: Quirky is right! There's a bizarre theatricality to this "Marionette" drawing created by an anonymous artist sometime between 1935 and 1942. The turquoise pants, the floppy hat...It’s like a clown attending a very serious business meeting. Curator: Precisely. Its visual language points toward familiar archetypes of caricature employed in genre paintings meant to ridicule individuals but, more pointedly, institutions or social practices. The harlequin-like costume mocks wealth and power. Editor: Mocking, or maybe…embracing? I can't help but think about performative identities, how we all put on costumes to navigate the world. The elaborate ruff around the neck, that extravagant jacket. It's a facade. Curator: That is interesting, the costume itself might be a source of empowerment. Art during the 30s and 40s faced unprecedented disruption during war and post-depression eras. The act of artistic expression then may have had serious personal consequences if authorities disapproved of their sentiments, Editor: Exactly! Perhaps this seemingly innocuous drawing offered the artist a mask, a way to voice dissent subtly. The extended hand, in what seems like a greeting, is unsettling, and almost an eerie dare. A sort of macabre acceptance of circumstance, perhaps. Curator: Yes! The anonymous artist adopts visual comedy as a shield, daring authorities to censor what they see as mere frivolity and entertainment. This drawing becomes, effectively, subversive protest art. Editor: What a way to look at it! To me, it feels like this anonymous artist managed to immortalize, in paper, a sentiment we continue to feel when facing oppressive realities, in their many forms. And to turn it into a drawing this well-done makes the puppet real, so it can make all its stances very very grounded. Curator: This has me pondering art's unique ability to give agency and challenge authority. Food for thought, indeed. Editor: Absolutely! Next time I put on clothes, I'm going to give that a good think. Thanks!