The Duke of Capodichino n.d.

Pier Leone Ghezzi made this caricature of The Duke of Capodichino using pen and brown ink, with brown wash on off-white laid paper. It's not painting or sculpture, but graphic art, a quick, deft process, like reportage. Notice how Ghezzi built up the lines, creating an inflated, puffed-up effect. See the Duke's bulbous nose, his jutting jaw and stance: the artist captured it all in a flurry of strokes. The brown wash gives substance and shadow. This wasn’t necessarily considered high art. Caricature was a popular entertainment, a way to playfully comment on society. But in its own way, this drawing is as skilled as any oil painting. The art lies in the artist's ability to convey character and social commentary with minimal means. The drawing's simplicity allows us to focus on its critical, humorous essence, challenging the traditional hierarchy between fine art and accessible, satirical craft.