Jonah and the Whale

1936, black-and-white lithograph, 6” x 8 ½” plate

Featured in the 1937 International Exposition, Jonah and the Whale, 1936, color serigraph, 12” x 18”

Here you can see the black-and-white lithograph of Jonah and the Whale, as well as the color lithograph. This was one of the artist’s most popular and successful pieces at the time. The story that this piece represents is an interpretation of an Old Testament story found in The Twelve, a book in the Hebrew canon that concerns the lives of twelve minor prophets. Jonah’s story is of the eternal struggle between good and evil and also represents liberation from suffering and injustice. These two lithographs presented above provide a great opportunity to compare and contrast. What are some similarities? What are some differences? Were you more attracted to one or the other? Does the color add emotion or value to the piece? An interesting observation that was made about these lithographs is that they show similar emotions through different facial expressions. Another interesting observation is that both men have rays emanating from their heads, perhaps suggesting angelic qualities. Why would an artist make two versions of the same story?