Below the Mark, Mark Twain
1908
Mark Twain looks ready for a summer stroll in this 1908 caricature, sporting the iconic all-white suit he famously wore to stand out from the 'black, white, and gray' crowd. Drawn by Leslie Matthew Ward (who signed as 'Spy') for Vanity Fair, the piece is titled 'Below the Mark'—a clever pun on his riverboat pseudonym. You can see his signature wild white hair and pipe, capturing the essence of the literary giant just two years before his death. Ward was the master of the celebrity caricature, and this print shows Twain's lanky frame and serious demeanor perfectly.
- Technique
- Chromolithograph
- Material
- Paper