The Good Old Days II
Paris: Éditions R.S., 1977. Item #07015
“A Bicycle Built for One Very Extraordinary Cat”
Ronald Searle's Delightful The Good Old Days II
An Original Color Lithograph, Signed and Numbered by the Artist
One of Only Ninety-Nine Impressions
SEARLE, Ronald (1920–2011). The Good Old Days II. Paris: Éditions R.S., 1977.
Original color lithograph on heavy wove paper. Sheet size: 19 3/4 x 26 inches (502 x 660 mm.). Numbered in pencil at lower left “44/99” and titled in pencil “The Good Old Days II.” Signed and dated in pencil at lower right “Ronald Searle ’77.” With the publisher's blindstamp “ÉDITION R.S. / PARIS” at lower right. Framed and glazed.
A wonderfully whimsical and highly decorative composition depicting an enormously rotund, wide-eyed cat riding an old-fashioned bicycle along a winding woodland path. The improbable cyclist, his considerable bulk perched precariously above the delicate machinery of his bicycle, pedals determinedly through an enchanted landscape of towering trees, tangled undergrowth, and luxuriant vegetation. His expression of startled concentration, coupled with the absurdity of his chosen mode of transport, perfectly captures Searle's incomparable gift for affectionate visual comedy.
The woodland setting is rendered with extraordinary delicacy and invention. Great, twisting tree trunks dominate the right of the composition, while a profusion of ferns, grasses, and intricately worked foliage frames the pathway. Searle's characteristically restless, energetic linework is complemented by delicate washes of pale green, soft ochre, and muted gray, creating an atmosphere of remarkable lightness and tranquility. Scattered ink splashes, fine stippling, and seemingly spontaneous flourishes of the pen lend the scene an almost magical quality.
The contrast between the richly detailed vegetation and the comparatively open central landscape is particularly effective, directing the viewer's attention toward the solitary feline cyclist. It is a composition of exceptional charm, combining Searle's mischievous humor with a sophisticated understanding of balance, texture, and color.
Ronald Searle (1920–2011) was one of the most inventive, influential, and instantly recognizable British illustrators and caricaturists of the twentieth century. Born in Cambridge, he began drawing professionally while still a teenager. During the Second World War he served in the British Army and endured more than three years as a prisoner of war of the Japanese, producing an extraordinary body of drawings documenting the brutal conditions of captivity.
Following the war, Searle achieved international fame through his irrepressible St. Trinian's schoolgirls, his illustrations for Geoffrey Willans's Molesworth books, and his contributions to Punch, The New Yorker, and numerous other publications. His unmistakable style, characterized by nervous, exuberant penwork, wildly exaggerated figures, and a wonderfully anarchic sense of humor, exerted a profound influence on generations of illustrators, cartoonists, and graphic artists.
After settling in France in the early 1960s, Searle increasingly devoted himself to independent artistic projects, including a remarkable series of original lithographs. These works provided an opportunity to explore the expressive possibilities of printmaking, combining the spontaneity and precision of his celebrated drawings with a more subtle and painterly treatment of color.
Animals, and particularly cats, occupied a special place in Searle's imagination. His feline creations are rarely conventional portraits of domestic pets; rather, they are wonderfully eccentric personalities, endowed with unmistakably human expressions, ambitions, and shortcomings. Whether engaged in improbable athletic pursuits, elaborate social rituals, or the everyday absurdities of modern existence, Searle's cats are among the most engaging and memorable inhabitants of his extraordinary artistic universe.
The Good Old Days II belongs to this delightful tradition. A companion to his earlier lithograph The Good Old Days, it is a separate and distinct composition, although closely related in subject, technique, and whimsical spirit. Both works celebrate Searle's ability to transform a simple comic conceit into an elaborate and beautifully realized work of art.
A particularly appealing example of Ronald Searle's original graphic work, combining his incomparable sense of humor with the exquisite draftsmanship and delicate coloring of his mature French period. Signed and numbered by the artist, and limited to just ninety-nine impressions.
Price: $1,500.00