Richard Nixon, My Operation II, 1970; Artist: David Levine, American, 1926–2009. Photo credit, Yale University Art Gallery; Copyright Artist/Estate/Foundation
In the late 17th century, some artists moved past the more general derision of social types and customs toward the production of personal caricatures that were directed at specific individuals. Popularized by the Italian painter and caricaturist Pier Leone Ghezzi in the 18th century, these parodies spotlighted singular targets who were seldom offended, as the taunting nature of caricatures during this period never rose above gentle ribbing. While physiognomic distortion abounded in individualized caricatures, it was these exaggerated features that were believed to capture a person’s character and that permitted viewers to readily recognize the subject. Some individuals even commissioned caricatures of themselves to bolster their own renown or social standing. Similarly, artists drew and exchanged caricatures among themselves, as both a mark of camaraderie and a way to acknowledge the shared experience of their community. To this day, the principles of notoriety and recognition—and the delicate balance between the two—continue to serve as the foundation for caricature, whether the images are personal, social, or political in nature.
By the 19th century, the audience for caricatures had broadened significantly — as had the distance between artists and their subjects — and caricatures of famous figures, such as royals and politicians, proliferated. Personal and political caricature collide in Honoré Daumier’s Gargantua (1831), a highlight of the exhibition. In this print, which is titled after a folkloric giant who was the subject of a series of eponymous novels written by François Rabelais in the 16th century, Daumier satirized the French king Louis-Philippe I, who is seated on a chaise percée (commode) while his ministers continuously feed him moneybags of taxes collected from nearby impoverished citizens. Another cluster of ministers rushes out of the legislative building in the background to greedily collect the by-products of Louis-Philippe’s “digestion”: prefectures, nominations of peers, and military commissions for his supporters. Audiences both past and present can find amusement in Gargantua, which drew connections between Rabelais’s willful giant and the 19th-century French king. Yet the 21st-century viewer, accustomed to heightened political debate and daily editorial cartoons, may not grasp the incendiary and disruptive nature of Daumier’s caricature. Charged with arousing contempt for the government and offending the king’s person, Daumier was fined and imprisoned for creating the print.
Daumier paved the way for satirical artists today, such as Enrique Chagoya and political cartoonist Pat Oliphant, who continue to push boundaries by voicing dissent and questioning accountability. Caricature remains an effective and vital vehicle for engaging with subjects that are familiar and accessible, yet difficult to broach.
Elisabeth Hodermarsky, Acting Head and the Sutphin Family Senior Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings, states, “The works in Seriously Funny are both pointed in their purpose and masterful in their execution. Caricature is a unique and challenging genre requiring extraordinary draftsmanship, dexterity of mind, and compositional genius. Visitors can appreciate both moments of profound wit and sublime artistry in this exhibition.”
Rebecca Szantyr, exhibition curator and the former Florence B. Selden Senior Fellow in the Department of Prints and Drawings, explains, “When these works were created, they were—by definition of what the genre does best—very much ‘of the moment,’ be it encapsulating the characterization of an individual, parodying a social scene, or commenting on a political current event.” Szantyr continues, “Yet, it would be a mistake to understand this as a mere topicality, or to think that, because these works are comical, they are therefore less prestigious. In the objects presented, viewers will find not only that the humor at work in them transcends traditional temporal boundaries but also that this humor is a conduit for addressing issues of great consequence.”
Pages: 1 · 2
More Articles
- Selective Exposure and Partisan Echo Chambers in Television News Consumption: Innovative Use of Data Yields Unprecedented Insights
- Jo Freeman Reviews Thank You For Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission
- Journalist's Resource: Religious Exemptions and Required Vaccines; Examining the Research
- Jo Freeman Reviews: Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight
- Jo Freeman Writes: Sex and the Democratic Party – In Brooklyn
- Jo Freeman Reviews MADAM SPEAKER, Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons Of Power: “An iron fist in a Gucci glove”
- Jo Freeman Reviews Mazie's Hirono's Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story
- Jo Freeman: The Georgia Peach Is Purple
- Jo Freeman Reviews The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage and Justice
- Stateline Nevada State Senator Pat Spearman and Birth Control Prescriptions: Women Gain Record Power in State Legislatures