A character of O. DaumierOs caricature OSmile rehearsal during the election campaignO is too serious, and cannot laugh at himself. Many people can not though laughter is a kind of a medicine. Yogi even have a special exercise to OcureO bad mood O sit before the mirror and make yourself smile.
A mirror ( a caricature, too) distorts reality; moreover, a caricature perverts it deliberately and in a specific way. Both mirror and caricature are heuristic and paradoxical.
The image of mirror was used by many artists O N. Akimov, M. Esher, F. Goya (OCaprichosO), G. Dore (OAt the HairdresserO), Kukriniksi (OMirror of the FateO).
Life is a refection. We see our double in the mirror. This is a miracle, mysticism. Sorcerers and witches do not reflect in the mirrors. The mirrors are used in fortune telling and spiritualistic seances. When a ray of light is directed at the mirror the engraved image of a devil appeared in the puffs of smoke or steam.
Distorting mirrors make aged people young, short O tall, fat O thin. Sometimes vice versa. On a caricature by V. Soldatov Don Quiijote is fat and Sancho Pansa is thin.
Why long noses, huge ears, and loose-hanging cheeks look funny? Probably, Aristotel was right when said that comical and ugly are identical. T. Rolandson named his cartoons OA Caricature Journal, or a Fun MirrorO. One of the BidstrupOs cartoons is OIn a room of distorting mirrorsO. The image of a mirror was widely used by the Soviet caricaturists in the OKrokodilO magazine, and in the political caricatures.
1. P. Breugel. Pride. From the series OSeven deadly sinsO.1557. Detail.
2. O. Daumier. Beautiful Narcissus.
6. A. Mlechko.
8. O. Tesler.
3. V. Mayakovski. 1923.
4. J. Effel. World Creation.
5. Kukriniksi. Lesson on History for Peking.
7. M. Bartak.
By Dmitry Moskin
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