Charles Nieuwerkerke
1785-1864
Eugène Giraud takes a humorous jab at the Comte de Nieuwerkerke in this lively caricature, exaggerating the French art administrator's features for comic effect. Notice the massive, aquiline-nosed head perched atop a comically tiny, stiff body dressed in a formal dark coat with a high collar. That little splash of red on his chest is likely the Legion of Honor, a nod to his high status as the Superintendent of Fine Arts under Napoleon III. It’s a perfect example of how 19th-century artists would playfully deflate the egos of powerful men by shrinking their physical stature while keeping their distinctive profiles instantly recognizable.