The State of the Union is always more than a speech. It’s theater, choreography, and hierarchy an American ritual where power arranges itself in a very specific geometry: the speaker at the podium, the Speaker of the House and Vice President seated behind, and the entire chamber responding on cue.
This year, what struck me most wasn’t any single line. It was position.
That idea became the foundation of my latest political cartoon: a scene built around three roles authority, institution, and strategy rendered through a historical visual language older than any modern headline.
Why the Lewis Chessmen?
In this cartoon, the chess pieces beside the figures are inspired by the Lewis Chessmen, yes, a famous set of medieval chess pieces carved in the 12th century and discovered on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. The pieces are known for their solemn, almost mythic expressions: kings that look burdened, rooks that resemble fierce guardians, and knights poised for movement rather than spectacle.
I chose the Lewis-style forms because they don’t read as decorative. They read as civilizational.
Chess is not about one dramatic moment. It’s about:
- structure
- timing
- patience
- sacrifice
- and the move already planned before the audience sees it
King, Rook, Knight
The trio matters:
- The King represents public authority the focal point of attention.
- The Rook represents the institution straight lines, rules, defense, continuity. and teeth
- The Knight represents strategy, movement, calculation, the long arc.
Placed in a modern chamber, these medieval forms suggest something simple: the board changes, but the game endures.
The Message
My goal with this piece was not to summarize the speech. It was to capture the larger truth of moments like the State of the Union:
politics often operates in moves, not moments.
We watch the visible gesture.
But power is shaped in the invisible sequence.
Long game.
Check.
Majority secured.
About the Artwork
This cartoon is part of my ongoing work exploring politics through historical symbolism using visual references drawn from classical art, literature, and enduring systems of power.
If you’d like prints, licensing, or publication inquiries, contact me through the site.
— Maria Grasmick
Some of my old SOTU’s I drew every year, but they are hard to find
2024
2019 cringe!
I have one with Trump when he wanted to be speaker of the house, at the sotu with that silver tray of burgers.
Lost forever but I found a screenshot
Love drawing them always