Merry England

 

'May I have the pleasure?'

 inscribed "Merry England (page 37) London 1956" 

"Remembrance of things past..."

Published within Punch on 21 December 1955, p. 733 as one of five drawings under the title 'May I Have the Pleasure?' and also within the artist's Merry England (1957) on p. 38

'The Pipes! The Pipes!' 

- The Edinburgh International Festival of Drama Opens Tomorrow

 

Illustrated: News Chronicle, Saturday cartoon issue, August 21, 1954

Literature: Ronald Searle, 'Merry England', Perpetua Books, London, 1956, pp.106-107.

"If music be the food of love..."

Published in Punch, 14 March 1956, page 314. 

Also published within Searle's Merry England (London, 1957), page 100.

'May I have the pleasure?'

inscribed "Merry England (page 37) London 1956"

Inspired by Sandro Botticelli's celebrated painting "The Birth of Venus", this large caricature was first published in Punch (May, 1953), and again in Searle's Merry England, London, 1956, p.91

Slave

Historical illustration for 1950s Punch magazine described as "A bound African bent inside the map of Africa is ready to break his shackles". 

The original art sold at auction in California a couple of years ago.

Fakes!

 While we're on the subject of auctions don't fall for any of the pathetic fakes that continually crop up at "reputable" auction houses. This one just sold at Raffan Kelaher & Thomas in Australia "attributed to Ronald Searle".

This pathetic St. Trinians girl sold at another Australian auction house, Lawsons, for $600 AUD.

To the keen eye of a Searle enthusiast the weak, unstructured drawings betray their amateurish forgery. Searle's style was loose and vital but never sloppy. His finished works were worked up from numerous rough sketches and had elegant compositions.

I've tried to alert a well-known British auction house in the past who were oblivious to selling a fake Searle but rebuffed my accusation affronted that their "expert knowledge" was called into question. Which instantly made them into Searle-esque stuffy, art dealer snobs!

Sometimes these fakes will pop up on eBay too with the "attributed to Ronald Searle" or "after Ronald Searle" but don't fall for it. 

More fake Searles here and here

Sold!

 I missed this one! An auction at Sotheby's in December 2020 of 81 books by Searle many inscribed by him. I guess they were bought by a dealer who'll sell them on separately. 

See more auction items here and more dedicaces here 

Men Only

Men Only was another early men's magazine like London Opinion or Lilliput where Searle found employment immediately after the war. And, as I've mentioned in posts on those publications, we see Searle developing his style; sometimes appropriating the style of other successful cartoonists and illustrators of the time like Anton and James Fitton. Even his signature is evolving. 

July 1946

October 1946

Thanks to contributors for the scans/pics. See the section on London Opinion for more

Taste

 

'Tea-sipping Ceremony '

 'Sommelier'

Abbott

Brain Cocktails

 

for Forbes Magazine. See more Magazine Illustration here

Who Killed Hollywood Society?

 For TV Guide. More here

TV Guide, New York, 11 November 1967, Page 27, 

'Who Killed Hollywood Society? The Golden Years' by Cleveland Amory