The Encyclopedia of Caricature
From 17th-century Bologna to the satirical press of Victorian London. From Bernini’s grotesques to Daumier’s courtroom sketches.
This is the complete history of caricature — written by a caricaturist who loves it.
“For this mini-encyclopedia of caricature, I drew on two fascinating books: La caricature — Art et manifeste (“Caricature — Art and Manifesto”) by Ronald Searle, Claude Roy and Bernard Bornemann (Skira, 1974), and Affiches et caricatures dans l’histoire (“Posters and Caricatures in History”) by Robert Philippe (Fernand Nathan, 1980).” — Sébastien Rieu, professional caricaturist for 25 years
What is caricature?
Caricature (from the Italian caricare, “to load”) is a graphic art that exaggerates the characteristic features of a face or personality to create an expressive portrait, often humorous or satirical. Born in Renaissance Italy, it established itself across Europe as a formidable political and social weapon, carried by geniuses such as Daumier, Gillray and Grandville.
What is this encyclopedia? It’s the reference section of a working caricaturist’s website — and it’s written as such. Not a dry academic survey, but a real engagement with the history, the techniques and the characters who made caricature one of the most powerful art forms of the last four centuries. All content is original. Images of historical works come from public domain sources or were scanned by Sébastien Rieu from original books. Every chapter is illustrated with original works, clickable and expandable.
The 7 chapters of the encyclopedia
Every article is illustrated with original works · Click to enlarge
Exaggeration, likeness, satire and portraiture. The four pillars of caricature — and how they work together. From the Italian caricare to Daumier’s lithography: the basic vocabulary for understanding five centuries of visual satire.
From cave paintings to political cartoons. How caricature evolved across the centuries — Luther, Marie-Antoinette, Philipon’s Pear, the Dreyfus Affair, Hitler and Stalin.
🇮🇹Annibale Carracci invented the word. Bernini made grotesque portraits of popes. Pier Leone Ghezzi turned it into a profession. The Italian founding fathers of caricature.
🇬🇧Hogarth’s moral satires, Gillray’s devastating political attacks, Rowlandson’s social comedies. The golden age of British caricature — Bunbury, the Cruikshanks, John Doyle (HB).
🖌️4,000 lithographs. Arrested for caricaturing the King. The most important political caricaturist in history — and also a sculptor and painter of genius.
🇫🇷Grandville’s animal metamorphoses, Cham’s political wit, André Gill’s street portraits. Robida drawing the year 2000 from 1880 — the golden century of French satirical illustration.
🚀Rodolphe Töpffer invented the comic strip. Charles Philipon invented the satirical press. Grandville invented surrealism before its time. The men who changed the medium forever.
Elsewhere in Culture
Three major pages, outside the encyclopedia, to continue the visit
In brief
- Caricature (from the Italian caricare, “to load”) exaggerates the characteristic features of a face or personality to create an expressive, humorous or satirical portrait.
- Modern caricature was born in Italy, in Bologna, around 1590, with the Carracci brothers; the printing press and then lithography allowed its mass diffusion in newspapers.
- This encyclopedia contains 7 chapters, 98 annotated works and covers 5 centuries of visual satire.
- Sources: La caricature — Art et manifeste (“Caricature — Art and Manifesto”), Ronald Searle, Claude Roy and Bernard Bornemann (Skira, 1974) · Affiches et caricatures dans l’histoire (“Posters and Caricatures in History”), Robert Philippe (Fernand Nathan, 1980).
| Chapter | Theme | Works |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What Is Caricature? | The Fundamentals | 2 |
| 2. History & Subjects | 5 centuries of satire | 6 |
| 3. Early Italian Masters | The Origins | 12 |
| 4. English Masters | The Golden Age | 28 |
| 5. Honoré Daumier | The Monument | 19 |
| 6. 19th Century France | The Belle Époque | 20 |
| 7. Pioneers & Innovators | The Inventors | 11 |
| Total | 98 | |