Bubble and fizz with a kick

The art of early cartoonist Barbara Shermund at Westerly's United Theatre

I’d never heard of cartoonist and illustrator Barbara Shermund (1899-1978). She was a maverick, drawing sly, feminist, breezy commentary on social mores for the New Yorker in its early days. “Feminine Wiles: The Art of Barbara Shermund” in the United Theatre’s gallery in Westerly, RI, curated by Hilary Pierce-Hatfield, is a heartfelt introduction.

Her story seems a sad one, though. Shermund’s cartoons about issues such as body image, motherhood, marriage, and romance have a strong, female point of view, which you don’t see much in early gag comics. But she faded from the scene after the flapper and Rosie-the-Riveter eras, as women’s roles grew more constrained and traditional post World War II. Here’s my review in the Boston Globe.

Images: Cover for The New Yorker by Barbara Shermund June 29, 1935, Digital Reproduction of Original Watercolor  and ink drawing, 15 x 11.5 inches; Self Portrait by Barbara Shermund Digital Reproduction of Original Watercolor on paper.18 x 28. FEMININE WILES: The Art of Barbara Shermund, The United, Westerly RI