MIGUEL COVARRUBIAS. "Madame X?" [CARICATURE / VANITY

MIGUEL COVARRUBIAS."Madame X?" Caricature for "Some Oddities of Marine Life," published in Vanity Fair, April 1928. Ink and wash with gouache on paper. 309x220 mm; 12x8¾ inches, on 16¾x11½-inch sheet. Unsigned, but captioned "The misterious [sic] woman" in lower margin. Hinged to board with matte. Repair to tear in lower left corner of sheet (does not impact image).

Madame X? is part a suite of caricatures drawn by Covarrubias to commemorate some fellow shipmates during his journey home to the United States from Europe. The published caption reads: "Madame X? No ship is complete without its Mystery Woman. In this case she happens to be a Chicago department store buyer who doesn't feel so well."