Caricature is a satirical reflection of reality

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The word "caricature" is derived from the Italian word for exaggeration. In the present sense, a caricature is a way to expose the hard-hitting essence of an object in a funny or ridiculous way. In a similar way, everyday, social or socio-political situations that concern society are ridiculed.

Origins

Caricature in human life appeared many centuries ago. It seems that the image of reality in this vein has always existed. There was a time when caricature, mostly of a political nature, was under the strictest ban.

The world's first caricature known to us now is the image of Ramses III, drawn on papyrus more than three millennia ago. Even today, the message of this legacy is clear, which showed the inappropriateness and comicality of the conceited Ramses, who ordered the walls of the temple to be painted with drawings of his personal life. For the modest inhabitants of Egypt, such a requirement turned out to be excessive, so they splashed out their discontent by creating various satirical images. The drawing in questioncurrently in the British Museum.

A feature of the caricature works of past eras was a significantly enlarged image of the head relative to the body. At the time, it seemed very amusing and funny.

Poetic parodies

Since most of the satirical depiction of reality is expressed in an artistic way, poetic caricature does not exist as a genre. Caricature in verse is a parody of famous works, emphasizing some imperfections of the original or its ridiculous sides.

In addition, a poetic caricature is a small quatrain that explains and complements the satirical meaning of a cartoon or portrait.

Today, poetic satire has found wide application in the field of social media statuses, and is also used as "smart thoughts" attributed to famous people. Often such a parody is based on a well-known poem, which is altered to denounce the comical side of some situation that has nothing to do with the original work. A vivid example of such a cartoon:

Frost and sun - a wonderful day!

The blue of the sky, frost on the face…

You would be appropriate in January…

But not in April… not at the end!”

Humor and caricature

Any caricature is created to ridicule a situation. But humor, like laughter, is different. More often than not, cartoonists expect a bitter sneer at their true, if exaggerated, portrayal of reality.

Caricatures are funny, ironic,politically or socially poignant pictures. It should be noted that most often a cartoon causes a smile, which is a kind and peculiar compliment from the artist.

Modern cartoon

Today, caricature is not an officially recognized genre in our country, however, it is difficult to overestimate the influence of this informal movement on the perception of reality. Caricature is a way to reveal and show the imperfections not only of a particular person, but of the whole society. During the Great Patriotic War, cartoonists supported the morale of Soviet soldiers by regularly releasing ironic and satirical images of the Nazis.

Caricature today has a strong personality, carries an obvious political message. Most often, images of celebrities, athletes and politicians are used for caricatures. Modern caricature is a reflection of freedom of speech, which is growing, becoming more necessary, more relevant, sharper every day, and is completely different from the humor of the "big heads" of previous years.