Caricature and Cartoon

The 18th century was a period of satire: artists and writers made fun of aspects of society such as behaviour, conversation and fashion. Pictures, stories and poems could often be quite cruel and personal, but this type of humour was an accepted part of life at that time.

The Charming Brute shows Handel as a boar and was engraved from a picture by Goupy after Handel invited him to dinner. Goupy was told the meal would be plain and simple, and sure enough it was, but when he was left alone at the table for a long time, he went in search of Handel and found him gorging himself on rich delicacies and good wine in another room!

This is a caricature of the famous castrato singer Senesino. Castrati were very tall with developed chests, which meant they had amazing breath control. This picture has exaggerated these features so that he looks quite comical.

Activity

Make a caricature of your favourite celebrity. Look for dominant features in their faces such as a big nose, small ears etc. Draw their face (you may find this easier in profile) exaggerating these features so that you tell something about their character.