Characters and Caricaturas
1743
William Hogarth created this brilliant visual essay in 1743 to settle a debate about the difference between 'character' and 'caricature.' The top half is packed with a dizzying crowd of normal-looking profile faces, representing standard 'characters' inspired by masters like Raphael and da Vinci. But look at the bottom row! Here, Hogarth unleashes wild, exaggerated features—huge noses, jutting chins, and goofy expressions—to show exactly what a 'caricatura' is. It's essentially an 18th-century meme explaining art theory, and the text at the bottom reveals it was even used as a receipt for subscribers buying his famous 'Marriage A-la-Mode' series!
- Technique
- engraving
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