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Leon Botstein

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
A page for this week's New Yorker. Leon Botstein is a historian, a writer, conductor and the President of Bard College. Also, according to the copy, very much a larger than life Character. Miss Chris Curry was the Art Director here. The assignment was offered on thursday afternoon, with sketches due friday and a final on monday. Below are a few of the sketches submitted.

Chris had some great reference of Mr Botstein's face, which in the article is described as "made" for caricature. Here I guess I was thinking that a glimpse of old timey boats on the Hudson might compliment the long tenure and flamboyant , old world qualities of the subject, who'd be sitting a bench in front of the Bard Gardens.

A colleague describes him as Zeus, and one gets the sense there'd be little disagreement from Mr. Botstein.

The final drawing was done to accommodate a 5 x 7" space and was upgraded to a full page before publication. I haven't seen the printed version, but am hoping it holds together at the enlarged size. Sometimes I have a tendency to over draw, clutter up or "fill in" a bigger space. It's an insecurity I think. Fear of open spaces or something. Perhaps drawing this one for smaller reproduction has unwittingly helped me side step that propensity this time.

© 2024 John S Cuneo