Uncle John
1906
Blending Art Nouveau aesthetics with sharp political satire, this 1906 illustration depicts oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller appropriating the persona of Uncle Sam. He stands center stage admiring his reflection in a mirror, wearing the iconic stars-and-stripes suit, while the real Uncle Sam sits slumped and dejected on a stool in the background. To the right, a bald eagle is chained to a massive can labeled 'OIL,' symbolizing the suffocating grip of the Standard Oil monopoly on the nation. Published in *Puck* magazine, this piece captures the public anxiety over corporate power just as President Theodore Roosevelt was launching his famous trust-busting campaigns against Rockefeller's empire.
- Technique
- Color lithograph
Views: 2