Political Descent '96
Political satire lost its edge in the post-Vietnam era; by the 1980s, mainstream publications provided fewer opportunities for provocative commentary. But The Nation continued to offer Sorel a regular outlet for his political cartoons. For the election day cover in 1996, Sorel depicted a political devolution from Franklin Roosevelt to Bob Dole and Bill Clinton. The image updated his similar 1987 illustration that showed political figures descending from Man (Roosevelt) through baboons, birds, and reptiles to the "sleazoids" of the post-Reagan candidates.
Ink and watercolor, 1996
Original cover art for The Nation, November 4, 1996
Private collection
© Edward Sorel
