Cerberus

Also known as J. Eden Saville
  • Artist (Cartoonist / Illustrator)
Colonial South Australian cartoonist who used the pseudonym Cerberus, and employed Roman allegorical figures in his work to represent contemporary Australian concerns. He may have been J. Eden Saville, chief artist of the 'Portonian' (South Australia). Cerberus worked on this paper for 10 years.
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cartoonist, contributed political cartoons to the weekly Port Adelaide Portonian (1871-c.1881), e.g: “I wonder how long that will last the ravenous creature?” 1872, which depicts the Northern Territory as an elephant with an Indian rider [ sic ] being a massive financial drain on South Australia (a Roman allegorical female) (ill. King 1, 58); 'South Australia Forsaken’, a classical female mourning the departure of her population, June 1872; and 'The Position’ April 1875, which presents the current premier James Boucaut (nicknamed 'Boko’ for his large hooked nose) and his former chief secretary William Morgan as familiar outback characters: the bullock driver – with a team (all with faces of individual politicians) broken down under a load of 'Immigration’, 'Bold Comprehensive Policy’, 'Railways’ and (dislodged) 'Stamp Bill’ – and the swagman (ill. Mahood 142). A scrapbook of cartoons by Cerberus (ML) includes a good image on baby farming.

Mahood considers that the imaginative and technical peak of the Portonian was reached on 2 March 1878 with 'The Crisis in Melbourne’, a very large (18” x 24”) chalk and brush lithograph, 'designed by Cerberus and drawn by Wyburd’, which shows a tiny doomed figure in a nightmare landscape à la Gustave Doré. She states (146) that it 'records some fiery oratory by a Berry suppporter concerning the treachery of another, with the heartfelt hope, “May the dogs of hell chase him over the mountains of damnation!”’ Mahood thought that 'Cerberus’ was 'perhaps the strongest in political comment’ of all the Adelaide cartoonists of the 1870s. She found his identity impenetrable (the South Australian Archive had no clues although they hold a large collection of his prints), but he could have been J. Eden Saville, identified by Moore as the chief artist, along with A.S. Broad – who signed 'ASB’ – on the Portonian .

Writers:
Kerr, Joan
Date written:
1996
Last updated:
2007

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References [<ExternalResource: Judd, Craig (1999), 'Australians in black & white: (the most public art)', State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Apparently considered, but not used, for the exhibition.>, <ExternalResource: Moore, William (1934), 'The Story of Australian Art', Sydney, New South Wales: Angus and Robertson, 2 volumes, (facsimile reprint, 1980).>, <ExternalResource: King, J. (1979), 'The other side of the coin: a cartoon history of Australia', Stanmore, New South Wales: Cassell Australia.>, <ExternalResource: Mahood, M. (1973), 'The loaded line: Australian political caricature, 1788-1901', Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press.>, <ExternalResource: Cerberus, 'Scrapbook for the Portonian', Port Adelaide, South Australia (copy in Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales).>, <ExternalResource: Judd, Craig (1999), 'Australians in black & white: (the most public art)', State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Apparently considered, but not used, for the exhibition.>] [<ExternalResource: Judd, Craig (1999), 'Australians in black & white: (the most public art)', State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Apparently considered, but not used, for the exhibition.>, <ExternalResource: Moore, William (1934), 'The Story of Australian Art', Sydney, New South Wales: Angus and Robertson, 2 volumes, (facsimile reprint, 1980).>]