Robert Osborn (1904-1994)
posted:
“America lost one of its leading graphic satirists when Robert Osborn passed on in Dec. 1994 at the age of 90. For almost 50 years, the devout moralist used his cartoons, caricatures and visual essays to change the world. However, Osborn felt that he never succeeded in this effort. In his later years, he confided to a friend that his one regret in life was that he had failed in transforming the world even after almost half a century of critiquing it.”---Steven Heller, PRINT, January 1995.
Here’s a collection of images selected from Robert Osborn books that I’ve picked up over the years. For anyone unfamiliar with his work, Osborn was a giant. You’ll notice that many of his images have been echoed in the illustrations of others who’ve followed. That’s a greater tribute to his brilliance than I could ever put in words.
Although much of Osborn’s work accompanies text, his own and by other authors, I felt it best to pretty much allow the art to speak for itself. Here and there I’ll add a short caption of my own to identify an issue or an individual. Beyond that, it’s pure Osborn.
Here’s a collection of images selected from Robert Osborn books that I’ve picked up over the years. For anyone unfamiliar with his work, Osborn was a giant. You’ll notice that many of his images have been echoed in the illustrations of others who’ve followed. That’s a greater tribute to his brilliance than I could ever put in words.
Although much of Osborn’s work accompanies text, his own and by other authors, I felt it best to pretty much allow the art to speak for itself. Here and there I’ll add a short caption of my own to identify an issue or an individual. Beyond that, it’s pure Osborn.
