The Old Print Shop

Diogenes Still looking. - "We Are the Gentlemen You Are In Search Of."

  • ARTIST: Thomas Nast

  • PUBLISHER: Published by Harper's Weekly. April 15, 1876.

  • MEDIUM: Wood engraving,

    DATE: 1876.

  • EDITION SIZE: Image size 9 1/8 x 13 1/2" (23.2 x 34.3 cm).

  • DESCRIPTION: Diogenes was an ancient Greek philosopher and is considered one of the greatest practitioners of Cynicism, a belief that one should live a "natural" life, in harmony with nature and themselves, without luxury, and filled with virtue. Diogenes gave up the comforts of home to live on the streets in poverty. He believed it was the only way rid himself of all luxury. Stories also tell of him wandering the streets with a lamp in broad daylight, hoping it would assist him in finding ethical people. <br><br> The artist, Thomas Nast, pulls on these details for the cartoon. Diogenes represents the average, struggling American trying to find truth among the lies. When this cartoon was made, in April of 1876, the country was in the middle of the Long Depression (1873-1879) and they were months away from a presidential election. Diogenes is seen looking into the crowd of newspapers, all of whom claim they are the honest "fellow" he is searching for. The newspapers are labeled "The Chicago Daily Pernicious Gossip Times," "Daily Canard," "The Daily Busy Body," "The Daily Slander," "The New York Hoax," "The New York Tribulation : The (misleading) Paper in America," "The N.Y. Moon Shine," "The Honest World," "The Washington Hatchet," "The Daily Rumor" and "The Innuendo."

  • ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • CONDITION: Generally good condition, small repaired puncture in upper right sky.

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