Karikaturen 1768 - 1836

Carle Vernet made this pen drawing titled 'Karikaturen,' which translates to 'Caricatures' in English. Vernet lived during a period of great social upheaval, from the French Revolution to the Napoleonic era, where political and social commentary often found expression through caricature. These quick sketches on paper reflect the visual language of satire, a means to critique and lampoon societal figures and types. The exaggerated features – the large nose, the stout body – play with physiognomy, a pseudoscience that linked physical traits to character. The drawing hints at the politics of appearance and the social biases inherent in how we read faces and bodies. What do you feel when looking at this? How do you think it felt for the people depicted here?