The modern Danaë and the golden rain
1899
In this biting 1899 political cartoon by Frank Nankivell, the Greek myth of Danaë gets a corrupt New York makeover. Instead of a maiden being visited by Zeus as a shower of gold, a dark cloud labeled 'Bribery' rains coins down upon a 'Map of New York.' A man labeled 'Platt'—referring to powerful political boss Thomas C. Platt—greedily catches the loot in a large pan while a Roman-dressed figure reclines comfortably on the state, soaking in the ill-gotten gains. It’s a savage critique of the Gilded Age political machines that treated New York like their personal piggy bank.
- Technique
- chromolithograph
- Material
- paper
Views: 1