Poincaré en Bonar Law 1923

Patricq Kroon made this caricature of French President, Poincaré and British Prime Minister Bonar Law, using ink on paper. Imagine Kroon’s hand as he carefully applied black ink to create these two political figures. The weight of ink and water, the scratch of pen on paper – I bet he started with the Eiffel Tower, looming in the background. Thick lines emphasize the figures, like bold outlines around their heads. Poincaré is lost in thought, his hand raised to his face, while Bonar Law stands firm with a strange rolled-up document under his arm – what could it be? Kroon probably drew inspiration from other cartoonists, like Daumier or Gillray, who knew how to distill a personality into just a few lines. In my own work, I am constantly looking back to past artists and thinkers, trying to channel their energies into my own creative process. Painting is never done in isolation, it emerges through conversation and influence. What kind of conversation does this image spark for you?