When we look at the back of any major newspaper, we are almost certain to find cartoons making fun of the latest political scandals and situations taking place in the world. Presently there is an overabundance of material to be made fun of. Rather then reading the all too often wordy and biased front pages of newspapers, the current headlines are also captured in ink and line on the editorial pages. Funny, over-exagerated depictions of political figures, often times unflattering, can actually make a very strong statement as to how the people view what is taking place. Now days, even in a somewhat comical way, cartoons do provide a way to critique what is happening to society and the world.

The term Caricature, its origins being deeply rooted from the Italian caricate, “overloaded”, was first used in the 17th century. In art, caricature is defined as the pictorial representation in which the physical features of a person or object have been grossly exaggerated for comic relief. The dignity of the subject matter is mocked by emphasizing and exaggerating its particular physical characteristics and social setting. Because the practice of caricaturization tries to emphasize the strange qualities of the subject, it is often a vehicle for what is called Pictorial Satire.

Although it’s first use came during the Renaissance period, it was not widely used nor considered as an art form or technique of accepted expression until much later. The first hints of emphasizing certain parts of the body, caricaturizing, can be found in the studies of the human body by Leonardo Da Vinci and Albrecht Durer. It was not until many years later, that caricaturization, as a satirical form, would be born as a way of speaking out against the States and Nobilities. During the revival of Classicism, it was unheard of to depict a head of state in an unflattering way. The practice of caricature strives to do just that, show flaws and weakness not only in individuals but also in society as a whole. When an artist would create something in this form during this period for the public, it was quickly rejected, forbidden, and often destroyed, leaving the artist to be imprisoned and often exiled.

Spanish painter, Francisco Goya, considered by many to be the greatest cartoonist & engravers of the time, began the movement of this as a social form of critique. Goya’s reaction to the Napoleonic invasion of Spain, led him to invent caricatures of the irrational beast in human behavior and war. “Los Caprichios”, 1796, Goya depicts the harsh qualities of society by depicting and exaggerating them in such an unpleasant way, that it almost becomes a comical work with very uncomical criticisms of society. It can be said that the idea of caricature is the simplest and most blatant form of freedom of speech, something that was to be held at a minimum in early 19th century Europe. The revolutionary political movements at the end of the 18th century and the great improvements in wood-engraving and lithography furthered the popularity of caricature to a new level of acceptance at the start of the 19th century.

French comic Charles Philipon began the first comic weekly, La Caricature in 1830. “The Pears” was a series of 4 drawings where King Lousi-Philippe is transformed into a pear. Philipon created an atmosphere for caricature to flourish, publishing many artists in his weekly paper. Among them, Honore Daumier, was the most well known because he was the artist that pushed caricature into the form of political and social satire that it shows today, by expressing his political convictions with a sense of moral urgency, developing it into a serious art form.

by Brian Shannon
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