Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) was an American writer and political commentator who became well known for being one of the first journalists to introduce the concept of the Cold War. However, Lippmann’s presence here is not intended to highlight matters he was connected to. Instead, R. B. Kitaj described Lippmann’s role as an interpreter, or “explainer of sorts,” similar to the narrator in Thornton Wilder’s play Our Town, who speaks from time to time to ensure that the viewer understands what is going on. The painting is also an experiment in space and a masterful example of Kitaj’s ability to push the boundaries of the picture plane by building on a labyrinth of painterly, collage-like, linear interjections. The vivacious, colorful lines throughout the work carry the viewer’s eye to each scene, or act, but also serve as a metaphor for physical and psychological fragmentation between the painting’s characters. In a letter about this work dated July 1968, Kitaj said, “Let me say at once that Walter Lippmann is just about my favorite among the very few pictures I’ve made which I care for at all.”

Label from R. B. Kitaj: Don’t Listen to the Fools, June 21–September 15, 2013