The Art of Barbara Shermund

Image courtesy to The Comic Journal.

June 24, 2025

Between the 1920s and the 1960s, Barbara Shermund’s pretty, edgy cartoon women shaped illustrations of her era. A cartoonist ahead of her time, Shermund brought a fresh perspective to art and comedy, often using a teasing sense of humour to characterize her drawings.  

While working as one of the first few women cartoonists for The New Yorker, she ultimately contributed to nine covers and hundreds of other cartoons. Her career reached its heights when she was chosen as one of the first three women to be accepted to the National Cartoonist Society, initially dominated by exclusively male members.

Image quote: "Gosh, Mr. Sheldon, give me a little time to rest up from my vacation."

Early in her career, Shermund’s cartoons portrayed the quintessential flapper navigating city life with sharp wit and a fiercely independent, “don’t need a man” attitude. Her work is noted for being able to bend conventional attitudes on gender norms with vivid characters. Shermund’s female characters embodied themes of gender norms, culture, and sex. They’re fun and rebellious, often engaging in traditionally masculine activities such as smoking and drinking. 

Image quote: “Of course it’s a woman—they don’t do landscapes in marble.”

Image courtesy to ArtNet News.

Although her career was well-lived, it isn’t well documented. Shermund played an essential role in The New Yorker’s illustrative legacy while leaving behind her own legacy as a feminist artist. Her sharp wit and subversive commentary often feel strikingly relevant and contemporary. Though her name may not be widely known today, her influence on the tone and style of American cartooning endures.