Der Vortheilhafte Handel.

Title

Der Vortheilhafte Handel.

The illustration shows a profitable trade: a woman selling schnapps to two Croatian soldiers. (Caricature)

ca. 1848

Artist

Lanzedelli

Historical Description

Even in Greco-Roman antiquity, exaggerated and humorous depictions of people were drawn on vases or walls—often for entertainment. However, these were not yet “caricatures” in the modern sense, but rather grotesques or satirical images. The term “caricature” comes from the Italian word caricare, meaning “to exaggerate” or “to overload.” The first true caricatures emerged in the circles of artists like Leonardo da Vinci, who exaggerated facial features to express character. In England and France, caricature became a political weapon. Artists like James Gillray, William Hogarth, and Honoré Daumier mocked politicians, kings, and social injustices. Caricature evolved into a mass medium through newspapers and pamphlets. Freedom of the press in the 19th century enabled a golden age of political caricature. In Germany, caricaturists such as Wilhelm Busch (also a forerunner of the comic) and the magazine “Simplicissimus” were prominent. Caricature became a tool of criticism, satire, and enlightenment. During World War I and II, caricatures were heavily used for propaganda. Afterward, there was a return to social and political satire, for example in magazines like “Titanic” or “Charlie Hebdo.” New forms also emerged, such as the cartoon and the comic strip.