Out of reach (1904)
Technique: Giclée quality print
Recommended by our customers
More about this artwork
The imaginative painting "Out of Reach" (1904) by John Samuel Pughe offers a playful yet poignant commentary on American politics at the turn of the 20th century. In this vividly colored depiction, we observe a caricature of William Jennings Bryan, a notable figure in the Democratic Party, whimsically riding a wooden donkey representative of his political affiliation. Bryan is portrayed with exaggerated features, dressed in a gingham shirt and sporting a green jacket, which adds a touch of humor to his determined expression.In a striking blend of amusement and critique, Bryan is seen attempting to lift a child, labeled as "Hearst" for William Randolph Hearst, towards a nomination pennant. This is suspended just out of reach, symbolizing Hearst's ambitions within the Democratic Party and his elusive grasp on a presidential nomination. The overarching theme cleverly alludes to the machinations and aspirations within political spheres, where ambitions often remain tantalizingly unattainable.Set against a backdrop reminiscent of a fair, specifically labeled as a "DEMOCRATIC MERRY-GO-ROUND," the scene is both literal and metaphorical, suggesting the cyclical and sometimes futile nature of political endeavors.
Delivery
Returns
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.