Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Mischa Richter's Dinner Plate Nameplate

Mischa Richter's original New Yorker cartoon art from the issue of August 22, 1988 has a straightforward enough concept. The overall composition of the gag has not been left to chance. One only has to look at the placement of the several diners' heads, of the raised menu, even of the potted plant in the upper left corner to realize how carefully Richter worked out the spacing of the various elements. 

There might even be some clever sleight of hand going on with the perspective, as we're looking down—way down—at the table of Arthur J. Trent which should indicate a fairly high horizon line, but then we're looking horizontally at the diners in the back. So where exactly is eye level? Put another way, the foreground would seem to suggest a higher horizon line than the background does. Or put yet another way, the table of Arthur J. Trent, attorney-at-law, may be tilted ever so slightly toward us—in the service of the gag, of course.


Arthur J. Trent
Attorney-at-Law

Mischa Richter
Original art
The New Yorker, August 22, 1988, page 34



Mischa Richter
eBay Listing Ended December 18, 2017
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mischa-Richter-original-published-illustration-art-New-Yorker-Lawyers-/352199372241?hash=item5200b7edd1%3Ag%3AlZQAAOSwHUhZ-laY&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Mischa Richter
eBay Item Description

Mischa Richter
eBay Bid History
The last bid takes it with five seconds to spare.


Arthur J. Trent
Attorney-at-Law

Mischa Richter
The New Yorker, August 22, 1988, page 34
Arthur J. Trent
Attorney-at-Law

Mischa Richter
Original art
The New Yorker, August 22, 1988, page 34



Cartoons by Mischa Richter and William Steig
http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1988-08-22#folio=034

Note:  Attempted Bloggery seeks scans and photographs of original published and unpublished art by Mischa Richter (1910-2001) and other New Yorker artists. Menu items are subject to change without notice.


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