The work of caricaturist David Levine, who died on Dec. 29, 2009 at age 83, graced the pages of Graphis many times over the years. Although gifted as a painter, it was Levine’s fantastically large-headed, somber black ink sketches of politicians, writers, and other newsmakers that made him famous. Printed in the best magazines and biggest newspapers in the world, Levine’s illustrations often captured his subjects more precisely than the accompanying essays.
In Graphis Magazine, Issue 321, novelist, journalist, editor, and screenwriter Pete Hamill profiled the Brooklyn born artist. Hamill said, “David Levine has been an essential part of being alive in the second half of the 20th century. He has made us all a little smarter, more skeptical, and in the end, more human. He has helped us laugh. He has helped in the communal task of caging power. And in his painting, he has reminded us, in canvas after canvas, of the people from whom he comes…his work will survive us all.”
To read and see more of Levine’s work, visit Graphis Store.
David Levine’s Coney Island Project
Middle: Vladimir Nabokov (and Vera)
David Levine’s Westport project
