Nude Girl Epiphany, Playboy Cartoon - Women's Liberation Moment, 1969

Richard Taylor is one of the great Cartoonists. He is celebrated for his dry sense of humor and skill in depicting people through subtle narratives in a single image. He is a master of a one-picture story. His instantly recognizable style is expressed with his wide-eyed and heavy-lidded subjects. The present work, " I think my analysis is beginning to work. I don't hate myself this morning," is a cartoon about and for women in a men's magazine. It is not a traditional run-of-the-mill male chauvinist fantasy cartoon. It makes a sexual and social statement that addresses the emerging Women's Liberation movement of the late 1960s, making it historically important. Then again, it is a cartoon in a sex magazine. The secondary joke/ punchline is the guy's reaction. While the girl has a liberating epiphany, joyfully thrusting both arms in the air - the guy, oblivious to her moment, is transfixed on her ample bust. An often-overlooked aspect of Taylor's work is that he is a brilliant technical artist, hands down. His skills in composition, design, and rendering figures match his concepts. After the joke's punch line delivers a brief chuckle, the joy continues as one can admire the beauty of his drawing.
Signed upper left. R. Taylor. The work is elegantly framed under glass to a dimension of 21 x 17. Provenance: Playboy Archives
Richard Taylor, Canadian, American, 1902–1970
Pen, ink, watercolor and gouache on illustration board
21 - 17 inches
US$25,000 Plus shipping