Man Overboard

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Man Overboard

Publisher Richard Bosman (American, born 1944)

Artist Brooke Alexander Inc.

Date1981

Dimensions26 1/8 x 16 1/4 in. (66.3 x 41.3 cm)

Medium8-color woodcut

ClassificationPrints

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1981.111

Not on View

Label TextRichard Bosman took the subject of a man plummeting headfirst into the sea from two sources: the cover of a detective story and a childhood memory of an ocean voyage when a priest threw himself overboard. Despite the horror of the situation, there is something oddly humorous about Bosman’s depiction: the pinstripe-suited man, flat as a paper doll, seems only mildly concerned with his fate. His tie and hair remain neatly straight, though his shoes are missing. His helplessness and disconnection from his situation mirrors the prevailing anxiety of American society in the 1980s.Published References"Prints and Photographs Published," The Print Collector's Newsletter, Vol. XII, no. 2 (May-June 1981), p. 47. cf. Simon, Joan, "Double Takes," Art in America," Vol. 68 (October 1980) pp. 113-117.Exhibition History

Toledo Museum of Art, The Modern Woodcut, May 12-Jul. 23, 2000.

Toledo Museum of Art, Contempary Prints, Aug. 17, 1983-Jan. 14, 1984.

Toledo Museum of Art, Satire Show, Mar. 17-Jun. 25, 2006.

Toledo Museum of Art, Looks Good on Paper: Masterworks and Favorites, Oct. 10, 2014-Jan. 11, 2015.