Hermenegildo Sábat
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Hermenegildo Sábat (23 June 1933 – 2 October 2018) was an Argentine-Uruguayan caricaturist.


Life and work


Early career in journalism

Hermenegildo Sábat was born in the oceanfront
Pocitos :''Pocitos is also the colloquial name for the city of Salvador Mazza, Salta Province, Argentina'' Pocitos is an upscale beach ''barrio'' (neighbourhood or district) in Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo. Location This area is located along the ba ...
section of
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
,
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
, in 1933. Named after a grandparent who had been a noted local artist in his day, Hermenegildo was known as "Menchi," from early childhood. Montevideo's leading news daily, ''
El País ''El País'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El País'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...
'', first published a drawing of his - a portrait of
Uruguay national football team The Uruguay national football team ( es, Selección de fútbol de Uruguay) represents Uruguay in international Association football, football, and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. T ...
forward
Juan Schiaffino Juan Alberto "Pepe" Schiaffino Villano (; 28 July 1925 – 13 November 2002) was an Italian-Uruguayan football player who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. A highly skilful and creative playmaker, at club level, he played for C ...
- when the young artist was but 15 years old.Premio Nuevo Periodismo: Biografía básica de Hermenegildo Sábat
/ref> Sábat's first work experience in journalism began in 1955 as a graphist in ''Acción'', returning to ''El País'', in 1957. His career prospered in ''El País'', and Sábat became an editor at the daily, as well as contributing work as a staff correspondent, photographer and illustrator. His byline was featured in other Uruguayan periodicals in subsequent years, such as ''
Marcha Marcha (born Margaretha Hendrika Maria Groeneveld on 2 July 1956), also known as Marga Bult, is a Dutch singer and television presenter, who has been a member of the groups Tulip, Babe (Dutch band), Babe and Dutch Divas and is also known for her ...
'', ''Lunes'' and ''Reporte'', and he freelanced as a graphic designer. He married Blanca Rodríguez, in 1961, and the couple had two children. A dispute with ''El País owners, however, led Sábat to emigrate to neighboring
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, in 1966. Following a stint at Editorial Abril, a
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
publishing house, his caricatures were soon included in ''Primera Plana'' and ''Crísis'' (then the leading Argentine news magazines), as leading dailies such as '' Clarín'', and ''
La Opinión ''La Opinión'' is a Spanish-language daily newspaper and website based in Los Angeles, California. It is the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States and the second-most read newspaper in Los Angeles (after ''The Los Angeles Time ...
'', for which Sábat became the sole illustrator. The closure of ''La Opinión'' by the new dictatorship in 1977 led to Sábat's transfer to ''Clarín'', where he would remain over the years.Footer, Kevin Carrel. ''Codes of mischief and morality''
/ref> Sábat's interest in
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
resulted in his writing numerous books on the genres, including: a biography of tango vocalist
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...
- ''Al troesma con cariño'' (''To the Maestro, with Love,'' 1971); of trumpeter
Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...
- ''Yo Bix, Tú Bix, Él Bix'' (1972); and ''Scat: una interpretación gráfica del jazz'' (1974).


Later years

Becoming a naturalized Argentine citizen in 1980, Sábat continued his commission with ''Clarín'' while contributing occasionally to other dailies, such as the ''
Buenos Aires Herald The ''Buenos Aires Herald'' was an English language daily newspaper published in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1876 to 2017. Its slogan was ''A World of Information in a few words''. History Under the original name of ''The Buenos Ayres Herald'', ...
''. He became a fixture in ''Clarín'' with his illustrations of political commentator Eduardo van der Kooy's weekly columns. His caricatures made him increasingly well-known, and parodied even authoritarian leaders such as
Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine Army general and politician. After serving in several government positions, including Minister of Labour and Vice President of a military dictatorship, he was elected P ...
and the heads of the
National Reorganization Process The National Reorganization Process (Spanish: ''Proceso de Reorganización Nacional'', often simply ''el Proceso'', "the Process") was the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983, in which it was supported by the United Sta ...
. He kept working after Argentina's return to democracy, in 1983. President
Raúl Alfonsín Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín (12 March 1927 – 31 March 2009) was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. He was the first democratically elected president after more than ...
's ineffective handling of the foreign debt crisis and military demands earned him Sábat's portrayals as a ballet dancer straining to impress stone-faced generals, or, at best, a tightrope walker struggling to retain balance. Political or military figures known to be especially close to the powerful
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
included a small halo, and CGT labor union leader
Saúl Ubaldini Saúl Edólver Ubaldini (December 29, 1936 – November 19, 2006) was an Argentine labor leader and parliamentarian for the Peronist Justicialist Party. Ubaldini was born in the Buenos Aires ''barrio'' of Mataderos, the son of a meat worke ...
(Alfonsín's most vocal opponent) paid for his frequent on-camera theatrics with Sábat's portrayal of his tearful breakdowns and use of the
elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the media ...
(a typically Italian insult).''Clarín'' (various issues, 1988 to 1991) His dauntless approach to humor helped earn him the prestigious
Maria Moors Cabot prize The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes are the oldest international awards in the field of journalism. They are presented each fall by the Trustees of Columbia University to journalists in the Western hemisphere who are viewed as having made a significant co ...
, in 1988 (among his numerous other recognitions). Alfonsín's successor,
Carlos Menem Carlos Saúl Menem (2 July 1930 – 14 February 2021) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. Ideologically, he identified as a Peronist and supported economically liberal policies. H ...
, proved particularly useful as fodder for Argentine humorists. The flamboyant Menem's prominent sideburns and ongoing push to extend constitutional
term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
s lent itself easily to Sábat's portrayal of him as a man fused to his presidential chair. His caricatures portrayed political figures, as well as artists and other personalities. The death of well-known Argentine cultural icons were infallibly followed by Sábat's homage in the form of an angel (''see
Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed ''nuevo tango'', incorporating elements from ...
's portrait, above''). He portrayed President
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President ...
in 2008 in ''Clarín'', with tape over her mouth, during the 2008 agrarian lockout. She considered it a "quasi-mafioso message". He draw her with a punch to the face during the 7D, in reference to a judicial ruling that benefited Clarín in the
conflict between Kirchnerism and the media The Argentine Governments of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner had several conflicts with major media groups. Kirchner accused the Clarín Group, ''La Nación'', ''Perfil'', and related media of having promoted their overthrow ...
. The legislature of Buenos Aires accused him of
violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...
, and
José Pablo Feinmann José Pablo Feinmann (29 March 1943 – 17 December 2021) was an Argentine philosopher, writer, playwright, and television host. He also penned several screenplays for domestic film production and international coproductions. Born to Abraham a ...
said that "he should not draw what he thinks". In 2017 he won the Diamond
Konex Award Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities. History and purpose Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The pur ...
, one of the most prestigious awards given in Argentina. He died on October 2, 2018, during his sleep. He was aged 85.


Books

*''Al troesma con cariño'' (1971), about
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inte ...
*''Yo Bix, Tú Bix, Él Bix'' (1972), about
Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...
*''Scat: una interpretación gráfica del jazz'' (1974) *''Una selección de dibujos públicados entre los años 1971 y 1975'' (1975) *''Galería personal'' (1975) *''Dogor'' (1979), about
Aníbal Troilo Aníbal Carmelo Troilo (11 July 1914 – 18 May 1975), also known as Pichuco, was an Argentine tango musician. Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with ...
*''Monsieur Lautrec'' (1980), with
Julio Cortázar Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; ) was an Argentine, nationalized French novelist, short story writer, essayist, and translator. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenced an ent ...
, about
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the ...
*''Tango Mío'' (1981) *''Sentido pésame'' (1984) *''Una satisfacción tras otra'' (1990) *''Haberlo sabido antes'' (1992) *''Fotos'' (1996) *''Jazz a la carte'' (1996) *''Carta a Torres García'' (1996) *''Crónicas del Ángel Gris'' (1996), illustrations for book by
Alejandro Dolina Alejandro Ricardo Dolina (born May 20, 1944) is an Argentine broadcaster, who also achieved fame as a musician, writer, radio host and television actor.Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...
*''Imágenes latentes'' (2001) *''Dos dedos: una interpretación de
Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...
'' (2004) *''Siguen las firmas: inventario apócrifo de falsedades, mentiras y algunas certidumbres'' (2006) *''El pájaro murió de risa'' (2007), about
Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
*''Anónimo Transparente'' (2007), about
Fernando Pessoa Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa (; 13 June 1888 – 30 November 1935) was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, translator, publisher, and philosopher, described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century and ...
*''Que no se entere Piazzolla'' (2008), about
Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed ''nuevo tango'', incorporating elements from ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sabat, Hermenegildo 1933 births 2018 deaths Argentine cartoonists Uruguayan cartoonists Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires Maria Moors Cabot Prize winners People from Montevideo Uruguayan expatriates in Argentina Uruguayan caricaturists Argentine caricaturists Uruguayan journalists Argentine journalists Argentine male writers Uruguayan male writers