Caricature. From Leonardo to Gillray

The beginnings of caricature date to the end of the sixteenth century and are linked to the Accademia degli Incamminati in Bologna. The academy’s founders, Annibale and Agostino Carracci, used humorous studies of faces and figures as an analytical tool for teaching young artists. Caricature soon spread from Bologna throughout the rest of Italy. In the seventeenth century, it found its way to France, and then in the mid-eighteenth century, to Britain. From the time it was first introduced until the turn of the nineteenth century, caricature underwent a remarkable transformation. From humorous drawings emphasising the physiognomic features of the portrayed subject, it developed into a powerful tool, harshly criticising the hypocrisy of politicians and social injustice and reproaching human weakness and folly. The graphic arts cabinet will present the most captivating caricatures from the National Gallery’s Collection of Prints and Drawings. Visitors will be able to enjoy works by Wenceslaus Hollar, Jamese Gillray, William Hogarth, Maria Boissier, and others. The exhibition also includes anonymous works that are just as appealing and original as those by famous masters.