President Grévy
1877
Here we have a delightfully grumpy Jules Grévy, the President of France, depicted as a giant bald head perched on a tiny body. André Gill, the master of 19th-century caricature, has him trudging up a staircase with a bright red satchel strapped to his back, looking like a reluctant schoolboy heading to class. This style of exaggerating the head while shrinking the body was Gill's signature move, turning powerful politicians into instantly recognizable, slightly ridiculous figures. It’s a perfect example of how French satire used humor to puncture the ego of the Third Republic's leaders.
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