You're With the State Department, I Presume 1947

Herbert Lawrence Block, or Herblock, made this ink on paper drawing called "You're With the State Department, I Presume" some time in the 20th century. What strikes me is the starkness, the insistent black line defining a room full of shadowy figures. It’s as if each line is a boundary, a wall keeping these figures separate even as they mingle. Look at how that line thickens, thins, and doubles back on itself. It’s not just about outlining shapes, but about creating a sense of depth and unease. This is a cocktail party, but the mood is far from festive. There is an ominous feeling, driven by the facelessness of the figures. The person in the centre with the obscured face, a band over their eyes and mouth, is particularly unsettling. Herblock, like Philip Guston, uses cartoonish forms to delve into serious subject matter. The looseness of his mark-making echoes the chaos and uncertainty of the political landscape he’s depicting. There’s a sense of urgency in every stroke, a feeling that something’s not quite right. It's a reminder that art can be both accessible and deeply critical, inviting us to question the world around us.