Caricature

A caricature is a portrait drawing that exaggerates or distorts the facial features, limbs, or other body parts of a subject for comedic or satirical effect. Caricatures emphasize and enlarge the most recognizable or distinctive features about the subject's appearance to create a simplified or impressionistic visual likeness that appears humorous or absurd.

History and Origins

Exaggerated facial features show up early in history in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Greek theatrical masks. But caricature drawings as a specific art form began appearing in the 1500s in works by Leonardo DaVinci and other Renaissance artists. Political satire magazines gained popularity in the 1700s in Europe, especially in France and England, featuring caricature cartoons mocking royalty and celebrities.

Honoré Daumier became extremely well-known in the 1830s and 1840s, creating lithographs with caricatures satirizing French politicians and society. In the late 1800s, caricatures became widely popular in the United States in newspapers and magazines like Vanity Fair and Puck, which lampooned famous personalities and scandals of New York culture.

The art form continues today, with caricature sketch artists offering amusing portraits catering to tourists near major landmarks and parks around the world. Modern computer tools can now automatically generate caricatures by detecting faces in photos and applying algorithmic distortion techniques.

Types of Caricatures

While individual artists develop their own caricature style, some broad approaches include:

Portrait Caricatures

Exaggerates the most recognizable facial features of celebrities in a single headshot. Very common at fairs or events.

Body Caricatures

In addition to the face, distorts the shape and proportions of the subject's body, limbs, and clothing for further comic effect resembling cartoon characters.

Political Caricatures

Satirical caricatures of heads of state, government leaders, royalty, or politicians which can be appreciation or take strong unflattering elements to extreme distortion. Common in newspapers and magazines.

Crowd Caricatures

A single face or body that combines simplified elements of many subjects into one portrait to convey common attributes. Used frequently to represent crowds at major events.

Animal Caricatures

Anthropomorphic representations of pets, livestock, or wildlife given exaggerated humanoid facial expressions, speech bubbles, and mannerisms to enable commenting on human issues through an animal's persona. Very popular in comics and animation.

Caricature in Clowning and Circus

Caricature drawings and stylization have natural applications for clowns and circus performers looking to develop memorable looks and comedy personas. Ways caricatures assist clowning include:

Signature clown portrait -commissioning a solo portrait caricature of their face with their distinctive makeup style emphasizing their unique funny facial structure. Displayed on posters, flyers to build recognition.
Pictorial routines - In skits, clowns may produce rapid caricature sketches of audience members or famous figures for humorous interactions with the exaggerated drawings. Allows peeks into clowns' lesser seen artistic talents.
Program profiles - Carnivals or multi-act shows may commission caricatures of each star performer, highlighting their skills and personality quirks for inclusion in printed programs for fans to take home.
Set dressing & props - Framed decorative caricature sketches placed around the circus ring or clowns' comedic spaces continue visually establishing their silly world. Signature props like rubber chickens or squirting flowers could also have caricatured features.
Promotional giveaways - At events or street fairs, clown artists may gift small sticker sheets with funny caricature faces and bodies for kids. Drives engagement, laughter, and sharing to spread positive impressions.

While caricatures distort truth, they aim for capturing emotional truths about their subjects. Clowns can use that spirit in their acts to push situations and reactions to ridiculous levels while making people recognize something authentic they connect with at a core level.