Hombre! Que Sin Vergeunza!
George Biddle (1885-1973), Hombre! Que Sin Vergeunza!, 1928, lithograph, signed and dated in pencil lower right, titled and numbered lower left [also signed in plate lower left “Biddle/1928/44]. References: Pennigar 78, Trotter 44. Edition 100. In excellent condition (never framed, without light or time staining), with wide margins, the full sheet, 9 3/4 x 13 3/4, the sheet 15 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches. Printed by George C. Miller. On cream wove paper with the FRANCE watermark. Archival mounting (mylar unattached mounting between acid-free board).
A fine, fresh impression, in pristine condition.
According to Pennigar the title translates roughly to “Buddy! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself!” The title refers to the composition: the well-groomed man with his foot up in the carriage passes a group of naked little boys. In 1928 Biddle was immersed in issues of social class and equality (as he was for much of his life); he visited Mexico with Diego Rivera in this year, and made a number of lithographs with Mexican and Haitian subjects.
The composition of Hombre! reflects the experience Biddle had working with Jules Pascin, who became his friend and colleague when Biddle was in Paris from 1924-6. The composition is modernist – it’s flat, without rigid adherence to conventional positioning and depth, and it’s witty too.