International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

A caricature is an exaggerated and distorted image of a person or thing, which is characterized by visual likeness, immediate recognizability, and pictorial wit, irony, or satire (→  Visual Representation ). This visual burlesque can be insulting or complimentary. It is not uncommon that a caricature offends the sensibilities of a depicted person. Caricatures can serve editorial, illustrative, entertainment, or commercial purposes, as part of political cartoons, illustrations for books and articles, standalone artwork, or use in publicity and advertisements (→  Advertisement, Visual Characteristics of ; Book ; Cartoons ; Political Communication ). Caricatures can be standalone drawings or well-integrated depictions in a broader context. For example, caricatures of politicians can be one part of an editorial cartoon that comments on a political issue (→  Political Media Use ). Etymologically the word “caricature” originates from the Italian verb caricare , which means “loaded” or “overloaded,” and the Italian noun carictura . The word caricare first appears in Italy around 1600, at the time of the rise of the artistic genre ritrattini carichi (exaggerated pictures). In a preface to the 1646 published collection of etchings of the drawings of Annibale Carracci (before November 3 1560–1609), it was pointed out that Carracci had employed caricare for sketchy, satirical, and ... log in or subscribe to read full text