Misery loves company (1901)
Technique: Giclée quality print
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This evocative artwork by John Samuel Pughe, created in 1901, titled "Misery Loves Company," cleverly uses satire to comment on social and political situations of the era. In its colorful composition, two major figures, acclaimed in their respective professions but depicted as social outcasts, are seen bitterly embracing each other on a rocky outcrop.The characters, portrayed with exaggerated features typical of political cartoons, wear naval-style uniforms that emphasize their possible prominence in society and their ultimate rejection. The grim faces and tight embrace highlight their shared frustration and defeat. On either side of the painting, torn sails marked "Rejected" and "Outcast" drape from poles, framing the central figures and reinforcing their exclusion from their communities or professional circles.This piece serves not only as a humorous commentary on the consequences of societal or professional downfalls but also evokes a deeper empathy for those who find themselves ousted, clinging to each other in solidarity amidst adversity.
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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.