Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-06-07
ART OF CARICATURE
EVOLUTION AND INFLUENCE OF THE
NEWSPAPER CARTOON.

Tho Ancient Greeks, Romans and
Egyptians Used Grotesauc Pictures
10 Emphasize Their satire - The
Eighteenth Century Craze.
The story is told of an able of the
seventeenth century who was as de-
formed in figure as he was ridiculous
in dress, and as sensitive about his
physical deformity as he was vain of
his eccentric attire, that while serving
mass one morning he observed a smile
of contempt OH tho face of one of the
courtiers present and determined to
avenge himself by serving a process
upon him for appearance in court the
following day.
The offender, NJ. de Lasson by name,
knowing that things would go hard
with him unless he could show some
reason for his mirtn, made hasty
sketch of the hunchback able, exag-
gerating in size the six black caps and
the waistcoats in which he was wont
to nppeap, and when he was solemnly
asked to show cause for his unseemly
mirth and indignity to the holy church
he suddenly displayed before his judges
the cnricature of the abbe as his Eek
cuse." The likeness was so excellent
and the cartoon SO grotesque that the
entire court fell to laughing, and the
accused was liberated without repri-
mand.
This is the first authentic case of the
power of the cartoon in hall Of JUS
tice, but 1t illustrates the power of the
pencil in depicting the follies of the
foolish and the affectations of the arti-
fetal.
There is no telling when the art Of
caricature began. There are a number
of grotesques that have come down to
us from earliest Egyptian times. The
Greeks'employed pictures to emphasize
their satire. and so did the Romans.
All through the middle ages there were
numberless examples of 'grotesque-
ries" which, curiously enough, were
used in enforcing the doctrines of the
church by means Of satirizing the devil.
But the eighteenth century was the
heyday of the cartoon.
Beginning in France and oyerrunning
into Holland and thence across the
channel into England. the nood of carl
caturists carried everything before It,,
and it IN safe to say that we read the
history of the times with clearer vision
and with more accuracy Of detail for
the mirror which carlcatu turists held up
to reflect the striking peculinrities of
hn n ,h TO hnf ~
Gautier mentions II Spanish cartoon
ist. Francisco Gaya y Lucentes. II mly-
ture of Rembrandt, Vatican and Ra.
belais, who preceded the two great car
icaturists of the latter half Of the
eighteenth century. George Cruli,Shnnk
In England and NJ. Charlet in France
Charlet is known as the father Ct Wad.
ern social carlcature and holds MS coed
title to his position ns does Pllllpuu to
that of the father Of comic Journalism.
with LIE Churivari. the strongest paper
of its kind. Then came Punch in Eng.
land, which still retains its subtitle Of
the London Charivari, for years the
faithful IL not the most highly polished
reflector of British life. Upon its staff
John Leech, Richard Doyle, John Fen.
MEL, George du Maurier and dozen
men of lesser name kept Great Britain
In good humor for two. generations.
1t has been reserved for America.
however to bring forth n new race of
caricaturlsts which for lack of better
title may be called the personal car,
toonists. men who scize upon the char.
acteristics Of an individual and 30 ey.
aggerate them that the subjects Of .Ae
cartoons are known by the most promi.
nent features Ia their physical. mental
or moral makeup.
True there WAS one man in London n