Statesman No.128° - Caricature 1872

Curator: Gosh, there's something immediately off-kilter about this fellow, isn't there? He reminds me a bit of a startled scarecrow. Editor: Indeed! This is "Statesman No. 128 - Caricature" by James Tissot, created around 1872. Tissot, although French, made quite a name for himself in Victorian England, capturing the social scene. Here, he presents us with a rather pointed commentary on a public figure. Curator: It's the top hat, isn't it? Perched so precariously, as if it might topple off any second. And those coat sleeves billowing out… almost comical, in a way. Editor: The drawing is made using graphite and etching, creating a distinctive texture. It appeared in Vanity Fair magazine, a publication known for its caricatures of prominent people. His overcoat and posture are signs of the elite and powerful—yet this is subverted by exaggeration to bring us closer to the individual, a kind of symbolic unclothing of power. Curator: So, a little bit of poking fun at the powers that be. I can get behind that. There is an arrogance too... Or is that the "Vanity Fair" rubbing off on him? Editor: Absolutely! Consider the specific moment. 1872 – a time of significant social and political tension in Europe. These caricatures often served as a form of social critique, holding those in power accountable—and the implication here is a bloated self-importance, detached from those Newcastle constituents the inscription tells us he represents. Curator: Right, he’s kind of puffed himself up, but the artist pierces that bubble. The face is still so... pinched. A lot of vulnerability despite the pose. Editor: Exactly! And if we consider the history of caricature, it is really a democratization of the image—giving us license to look askance, engaging and even confronting the established figures of that society. What do you think about the historical echoes? Curator: I feel as if the work reveals how, despite all the finery and the trappings of authority, humanity persists—in its anxieties, its quirks, and its little vulnerabilities. It really makes one think. Editor: Yes, and even today, that tension between power and persona endures, constantly prompting questions of who we choose to represent us. Curator: Good point—timeless stuff, then! Well, I’ll keep my top hat at a jaunty angle and consider how I measure up against my own caricatures. Editor: Perhaps we all should! It’s a thought-provoking invitation for contemporary engagement and critical examination, beyond just this moment in time.