ARTICLE: The Granddaddy of the Political Cartoon

[Ryan Goble]

Interesting article in the WSJ about the "Granddaddy of the Political Cartoon." The story explores this tradition of earthly dystopias and makes an interesting link from the late Middle Ages / Early Renaissance paining below to the wonderful Depression era song (made popular again in O'Brother Where Art Thou) "Big Rock Candy Mountain."That song would make a brilliant compare and contrast assignment with this artwork...

"The Land of Cockaigne" by Renaissance painter Peter Bruegel the Elder "was, in the analysis of historian Ross Frank, 'the first instance of entirely secular political commentary and the model for the development of the satirical political print in Europe.' In other words, it was the granddaddy of the political cartoon, the prototype of a genre that would culminate in the 19th century in the acidulous allegories of Thomas Nast."

Read the full story about this painting at the WSJ HERE.