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Caricatures - Satirical Drawings
http://the-real-way.com
A caricature is a satirical portrait, painting, sketch or cartoon that exaggerates or distorts several features of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual resemblance.
Caricatures may be discourteous or flattering and may serve a political end or get drawn simply for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are often used in editorial comic strips, whereas caricatures of movie stars are frequently seen in leisure magazines.
The term is derived from the Italian caricare- to charge or load. Thereby, the word "caricature" essentially means a "loaded portrait". Accurately speaking , the term refers only to depictions of real-life individuals, and not to cartoon fabrications of fictional characters.
However the world-well-known animator Walt Disney claimed that his cartoon work could be compared to caricature, saying the most problematic thing to do was find the caricature of an animal that worked best as a human-like character.
One of the first instances of a caricature has been uncovered in the spoils of Pompeii where a graffiti caricature of a politician had been carved into a wall.
Moving forward nearly 1500 years but staying in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci was an dynamic exponent of the art. He actively sought out people with some kind of deformity to use as models.
The point of a caricature was to give an impression of the original which was more memorable than a portrait. Diodemmar Casem, one of the best early exponents, claimed to be able to sum up an individual in “ three or four strokes of the pen”.
Caricature experienced its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where such portraits might be passed around for communal enjoyment.
Mary Darley was one of the original professional caricaturists in England and about 1762 published the first book of caricature sketches in England - A Book of Caricaturas
However, the two supreme proponents of the art of the caricature in the 18th century were Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray. Their styles of output were in immense contrast. Rowlandson was the more artistic of the two and took his stimulation from the public at large.
Gillray, on the other hand, was more interested in the political world and used his art to satirize political life. Being contemporaries they became great friends and used to spend a great deal of time getting drunk in the pubs of London.
In sketching a caricature the satirist can decide to either subtly ridicule or cruelly wound his victim. Sketching caricatures can simply be a form of entertainment and amusement - in which case gentle mockery is in order - or the art may be utilized to make a serious social or political point.
A caricaturist draws on:
(1) the natural characteristics of the victim (the big ears, long nose, etc.);
(2) the acquired individuality (stoop, scars, facial lines etc.); and
(3) the vanities (choice of hair style, glasses, clothing, expressions and mannerisms).
Although caricaturists like Gillray raised much controversy in the 18th century by their depiction of the Royal family and particularly George III, it was nothing likened to the existing day uproar in the Muslim world brought |about by cartoons caricaturing the prophet Mohammed. So the modern day caricaturist continues in the satirical mode of his famous antecedents.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on various topics but is currently involved with Kitty Cannon 3. If you would like to read more, please visit our web site entitled Kitten Cannon 3.
Article submitted Thursday, September 08, 2011 & read 37 times.
Owen Jones writes on many subjects and is currently running several websites. He was born in Wales but now lives in northern, rural Thailand.
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