What exactly is Caricature?: Featuring AL HIRSCHFELD, “MEMORIES OF ‘93”
What exactly is a Caricature?
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or through other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoons, while caricatures of movie stars are often found in entertainment magazines.
In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.
Brief History
Caricatures first became a popular genre of fine art in the 16th and 17th century and were created by satirists to ridicule public figures and politicians (a caricature with a moral message is considered a satire). They continue to remain popular today and are used in magazines and newspapers to poke fun at film stars, politicians and celebrities. The only thing that has changed is the artist tools. Initially caricaturists used charcoal drawings, pencil or pen and ink drawings, but today an artist has access to graphics programs like Adobe Illustrator or Corel Painter.
Caricaturists have wielded significant power with their pen, far more so than a writer ever could. In the early days of the genre, they transmitted messages without the need for the written word, important at a time in history when the majority of the population could not read. One of the most famous examples of this sort of graphic art is the satirical etchings of Napoleon Bonaparte by the British artist James Gillray (1756-1815). He depicted the French Emperor as very short and slightly ridiculous, in an oversized hat. Today, as a result, we still think of him as being shorter than he really was. Caricatures may be one of the most populist forms of art, but as figurative they are typically just as skillful and more influential than most portrait paintings.
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Item Description:
Albert Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. He was born in a two-story duplex at 1313 Carr Street in St. Louis, and later moved with his family to New York City, where he received his art training at the Art Students League of New York. In 1924, Hirschfeld traveled to Paris and London, where he studied painting, drawing and sculpture. When he returned to the United States, a friend, fabled Broadway press agent Richard Maney, showed one of Hirschfeld's drawings to an editor at the New York Herald Tribune, which got Hirschfeld commissions for that newspaper and then, later, The New York Times. Hirschfeld's style is unique, and he is considered to be one of the most important figures in contemporary drawing and caricature, having influenced countless artists, illustrators, and cartoonists. His caricatures were regularly drawings of pure line in black ink, for which he used a genuine crow quill.
This particular artwork is numbered 46 out of 100, and features celebrities such as Bette Midler, Buddy Smith, Clint Eastwood, David Letterman, Dennis Franz, Eddie Vedder, Ellen McLaughlin, Holly Hunter, Joan Miro, Kathleen Tracey, Luciano Pavarotti, Marian Anderson, Michael Cerveris, Nilas Martins, Placido Domingo, Roy Lichtenstein, Rudolf Nureyev, Vivien Leigh, and Billy Holiday.
The print measures 20” x 25” inches.
Appraisal Value: $15,000.00
Our Price: $6,995.00
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APR57
The above item comes with a FREE Certified Insurance Appraisal valued at $15,000.00
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