Maltese political cartoons : 1980-1995

Abstract

While originally intending to discuss only those Maltese political cartoons produced within the last fifteen years, and which are the real subject of this exhibition, it soon appeared to me that this would have been equal to assuming that the reader is already well aware of the earlier history of Maltese cartooning in this century, but which has still not been written. Numerous satirical drawings - originally printed in newspapers, magazines, postcards, etc. - have appeared as illustrations to learned articles and books on recent Maltese history, but this modest article may be the first time they have been discussed - not as instruments of political struggle - but as works of art in various inter-related aspects, without however detaching them unnecessarily from their original context.