Caricature of the Artist's Younger Brother Marie-Alexandre-François 1776

François André Vincent made this caricature of his younger brother using pen and brown ink with gray wash, presented on paper at the Met. The monochrome tonality creates a stark and immediate effect, focusing the viewer's attention on the grotesque exaggerations of form. The composition is dominated by the elongated, almost skeletal figure of the brother. Note the pronounced curvature of the spine and the way the artist has emphasized the jutting chin and gaping mouth. Vincent employs line and shadow to amplify the brother's disheveled appearance, challenging classical ideals of beauty and proportion. In the late 18th century, caricatures served as tools for social commentary, often poking fun at societal norms and individual eccentricities. This drawing operates on such a symbolic level, questioning the dignified portraiture conventions of the time. The distortion of the human form serves as a visual metaphor for the destabilization of established values.