The way of the transgressor is (1905)
Technique: Giclée quality print
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"The Way of the Transgressor" is a thought-provoking 1905 painting by John Samuel Pughe, vividly presenting a critique of early 20th-century economic and political dynamics through satirical imagery. In the artwork, Pughe depicts a large, anthropomorphized bull sporting a crown labeled "Beef Trust," symbolizing the monopolistic practices of the meatpacking industry. This bull, with a smug and self-satisfied expression, stands firmly on two objects labeled "Cattle Raiser" and "Consumer," indicating the oppressive impact of the trust on both producers and consumers.Adding to this rich tableau is a character dressed as a jester, representative of the anti-trust law labeled as such, who appears ill-equipped to challenge the dominant bull, despite carrying a bag marked "Fines." This points to the artist’s commentary on the insufficient and perhaps ineffectual government attempts to regulate big businesses.Pughe's art brilliantly encapsulates the tension and criticisms of his time, using both humor and stark visual metaphors to communicate complex ideas about power, control, and economic inequality in the industrial age.
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John Samuel Pughe, was a Welsh-born American political cartoonist, best known for his illustrations for Puck magazine.
John Samuel Pughe was born in Dolgelley, Merionethshire, Wales, and brought to America by his parents when he was two years old. He studied art at Cooper Union.
J. S. Pughe illustrated news stories for the New York Recorder, Brooklyn Life, and the Brooklyn edition of the World as a young man. He began working at Puck magazine in 1894. He was a regular contributor there until his last cartoon for them, in December 1908.
Pughe died in 1909, age 38, at Lakehurst, New Jersey, where he had been spending several months to improve his health.