539 - Charles Boost* (Breda 1907 - 1990 Amsterdam)

Charles Boost* (Breda 1907 - 1990 Amsterdam) Dear Abby (Book cover) mixed media/paper 29,3 x 23,3 cm signed M. Bohr columnist Abigail van Buren SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE °€ 400 - 800 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE °€ 400 Charles Boost was born in Breda on March 8, 1907. After training as a draftsman, he initially worked as a teacher, following in his father's professional footsteps. Around 1930, he began illustrating books for young people for the Helmond publishing house. This early work laid the foundation for his career as a book illustrator and cover designer. Boost moved to Amsterdam in 1936, where he established himself as a sought-after illustrator, political cartoonist, and cultural journalist. His work appeared in newspapers and magazines such as De Tijd; for the latter, he also produced drawings concerning Indonesia during the 1960s. In addition to political cartooning, he dedicated himself to book cover design and literary illustration, while also writing film criticism on contemporary cinema. Boost’s graphic style combines precise observation, narrative focus, and an often satirical perspective on political and social issues. His caricatures and illustrations belong to the tradition of European press illustration. Within the context of Dutch graphic art, parallels can be drawn to figures such as Tjerk Bottema, Lex Metz, and Henri Pieck, who likewise combined illustration, social observation, and political satire. In the subsequent generation, artists like Peter van Straaten and Jan Rot carried on the Dutch tradition of incisive caricatures depicting everyday life and society. A broader international point of reference is George Grosz, whose unflinching satirical graphic work—targeting militarism, nationalism, and bourgeois hypocrisy—profoundly shaped political caricature in the first half of the 20th century. Although Boost maintained a distinctive style, he shared with Grosz the view of drawing as a critical medium for public discourse. Furthermore, his book designs demonstrate the close connection between graphic art, literature, and modern visual communication. Charles Boost died in Amsterdam on January 1, 1990. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights and platform fee. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid, the buyer's premium and platform fee. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.