The Pen is Mightier – Heartfield in Dialogue with British Cartoonists
John Heartfield, having escaped prosecution by the Nazis, arrived in London in 1938 and stayed there for the following eleven years. He actively engaged in the Free German League of Culture, a society of emigre artists and writers, but found it difficult to work in his favored medium, the political photomontage. Instead he eventually found employment with a number of British publishing houses, where he designed books, such as "The Pen is Mightier", an anthology of war cartoons, published in 1947.
This publication illustrates his involvement with contemporary British cartoonists. The small exhibition explores these bonds; satires by masters such as Gillray and Rowlandson from Heartfield’s collection are juxtaposed with his own work. The lasting effect Heartfield’s art still has on many contemporary British artists, such as Steve Bell and Ronald Searle, is also highlighted in the charming environment of Heartfield’s summer cottage.