Levine, David

Levine, David, 1926–2009, American caricaturist, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., studied Pratt Institute, Tyler School of Art, Temple Univ., Philadelphia, and Eighth Street School of New York. Levine's deftly satirical, large-headed, hard-edged, and artfully crosshatched drawings captured the essence of some of the 20th century's most notable figures. He was best known for the caricatures he contributed to the New York Review of Books from 1963 to 2007. At his most incisive portraying politicians, he created one of his most famous images with his caricature of Lyndon Johnson revealing an Vietnam-shaped abdominal scar. Richard Nixon, whose features and character provoked a unique savagery, was portrayed by Levine more than 60 times. His work also appeared in Time, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and New York and in the New York Times and Washington Post. Levine was also a talented painter.

See his No Known Survivors: David Levine's Political Plank (1970) and American Presidents (2008, ed. by D. Leopold); The Arts of David Levine (1978); G. Groth, Drawing the Line (2004).

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