| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| ORIGIN OF CARICATURE AND GROTESQUE—SPIRIT OF CARICATURE IN EGYPT—MONSTERS: PYTHON AND GORGON—GREECE—THE DIONYSIAC CEREMONIES, AND ORIGIN OF THE DRAMA—THE OLD COMEDY—LOVE OF PARODY—PARODIES ON SUBJECTS TAKEN FROM GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY: THE VISIT TO THE LOVER; APOLLO AT DELPHI—THE PARTIALITY FOR PARODY CONTINUED AMONG THE ROMANS: THE FLIGHT OF ÆNEAS | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| ORIGIN OF THE STAGE IN ROME—USES OF THE MASK AMONG THE ROMANS—SCENES FROM ROMAN COMEDY—THE SANNIO AND MIMUS—THE ROMAN DRAMA—THE ROMAN SATIRISTS—CARICATURE—ANIMALS INTRODUCED IN THE CHARACTERS OF MEN—THE PIGMIES, AND THEIR INTRODUCTION INTO CARICATURE; THE FARM-YARD; THE PAINTER’S STUDIO; THE PROCESSION—POLITICAL CARICATURE IN POMPEII; THE GRAFFITI | [23] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE MIDDLE AGES—THE ROMAN MIMI CONTINUED TO EXIST—THE TEUTONIC AFTER-DINNER ENTERTAINMENTS—CLERICAL SATIRES: ARCHBISHOP HERIGER AND THE DREAMER; THE SUPPER OF THE SAINTS—TRANSITION FROM ANCIENT TO MEDIÆVAL ART—TASTE FOR MONSTROUS ANIMALS, DRAGONS, ETC.; CHURCH OF SAN FEDELE, AT COMO—SPIRIT OF CARICATURE AND LOVE OF GROTESQUE AMONG THE ANGLO-SAXONS—GROTESQUE FIGURES OF DEMONS—NATURAL TENDENCY OF THE EARLY MEDIÆVAL ARTISTS TO DRAW IN CARICATURE—EXAMPLES FROM EARLY MANUSCRIPTS AND SCULPTURES | [40] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| THE DIABOLICAL IN CARICATURE—MEDIÆVAL LOVE OF THE LUDICROUS—CAUSES WHICH MADE IT INFLUENCE THE NOTIONS OF DEMONS—STORIES OF THE PIOUS PAINTER AND THE ERRING MONK—DARKNESS AND UGLINESS CARICATURED—THE DEMONS IN THE MIRACLE PLAYS—THE DEMON OF NOTRE DAME | [61] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| EMPLOYMENT OF ANIMALS IN MEDIÆVAL SATIRE—POPULARITY OF FABLES; ODO DE CIRINGTON—REYNARD THE FOX—BURNELLUS AND FAUVEL—THE CHARIVARI—LE MONDE BESTORNÉ—ENCAUSTIC TILES—SHOEING THE GOOSE, AND FEEDING PIGS WITH ROSES—SATIRICAL SIGNS; THE MUSTARD MAKER | [75] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| THE MONKEY IN BURLESQUE AND CARICATURE—TOURNAMENTS AND SINGLE COMBATS—MONSTROUS COMBINATIONS OF ANIMAL FORMS—CARICATURES ON COSTUME—THE HAT—THE HELMET—LADIES’ HEAD-DRESSES—THE GOWN, AND ITS LONG SLEEVES | [95] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| PRESERVATION OF THE CHARACTER OF THE MIMUS AFTER THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE—THE MINSTREL AND JOGELOUR—HISTORY OF POPULAR STORIES—THE FABLIAUX—ACCOUNT OF THEM—THE CONTES DEVOTS | [106] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| CARICATURES OF DOMESTIC LIFE—STATE OF DOMESTIC LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES—EXAMPLES OF DOMESTIC CARICATURE FROM THE CARVINGS OF THE MISERERES—KITCHEN SCENES—DOMESTIC BRAWLS—THE FIGHT FOR THE BREECHES—THE JUDICIAL DUEL BETWEEN MAN AND WIFE AMONG THE GERMANS—ALLUSIONS TO WITCHCRAFT—SATIRES ON THE TRADES: THE BAKER, THE MILLER, THE WINE-PEDLAR AND TAVERN KEEPER, THE ALE-WIFE, ETC. | [118] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| GROTESQUE FACES AND FIGURES—PREVALENCE OF THE TASTE FOR UGLY AND GROTESQUE FACES—SOME OF THE POPULAR FORMS DERIVED FROM ANTIQUITY: THE TONGUE LOLLING OUT, AND THE DISTORTED MOUTH—HORRIBLE SUBJECTS: THE MAN AND THE SERPENTS—ALLEGORICAL FIGURES: GLUTTONY AND LUXURY—OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OF CLERICAL GLUTTONY AND DRUNKENNESS—GROTESQUE FIGURES OF INDIVIDUALS, AND GROTESQUE GROUPS—ORNAMENTS OF THE BORDERS OF BOOKS—UNINTENTIONAL CARICATURE; THE MOTE AND THE BEAM | [144] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| SATIRICAL LITERATURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES—JOHN DE HAUTEVILLE AND ALAN DE LILLE—GOLIAS AND THE GOLIARDS—THE GOLIARDIC POETRY—TASTE FOR PARODY—PARODIES ON RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS—POLITICAL CARICATURE IN THE MIDDLE AGES—THE JEWS OF NORWICH—CARICATURE REPRESENTATIONS OF COUNTRIES—LOCAL SATIRE—POLITICAL SONGS AND POEMS | [159] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| MINSTRELSY A SUBJECT OF BURLESQUE AND CARICATURE—CHARACTER OF THE MINSTRELS—THEIR JOKES UPON THEMSELVES AND UPON ONE ANOTHER—VARIOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS REPRESENTED IN THE SCULPTURES OF THE MEDIÆVAL ARTISTS—SIR MATTHEW GOURNAY AND THE KING OF PORTUGAL—DISCREDIT OF THE TABOR AND BAGPIPES—MERMAIDS | [188] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| THE COURT FOOL—THE NORMANS AND THEIR GABS—EARLY HISTORY OF COURT FOOLS—THEIR COSTUME—CARVINGS IN THE CORNISH CHURCHES—THE BURLESQUE SOCIETIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES—THE FEASTS OF ASSES, AND OF FOOLS—THEIR LICENCE—THE LEADEN MONEY OF THE FOOLS—THE BISHOP’S BLESSING | [200] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| THE DANCE OF DEATH—THE PAINTINGS IN THE CHURCH OF LA CHAISE DIEU—THE REIGN OF FOLLY—SEBASTIAN BRANDT; THE SHIP OF FOOLS—DISTURBERS OF CHURCH SERVICE—TROUBLESOME BEGGARS—GEILER’S SERMONS—BADIUS, AND HIS SHIP OF FOOLISH WOMEN—THE PLEASURES OF SMELL—ERASMUS; THE PRAISE OF FOLLY | [214] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| POPULAR LITERATURE AND ITS HEROES; BROTHER RUSH, TYLL EULENSPIEGEL, THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM—STORIES AND JEST-BOOKS—SKELTON, SCOGIN, TARLTON, PEELE | [228] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| THE AGE OF THE REFORMATION—THOMAS MURNER; HIS GENERAL SATIRES—FRUITFULNESS OF FOLLY—HANS SACHS—THE TRAP FOR FOOLS—ATTACKS ON LUTHER—THE POPE AS ANTICHRIST—THE POPE-ASS AND THE MONK-CALF—OTHER CARICATURES AGAINST THE POPE—THE GOOD AND BAD SHEPHERDS | [244] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| ORIGIN OF MEDIÆVAL FARCE AND MODERN COMEDY—HROTSVITHA—MEDIÆVAL NOTIONS OF TERENCE—THE EARLY RELIGIOUS PLAYS—MYSTERIES AND MIRACLE PLAYS—THE FARCES—THE DRAMA IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY | [264] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| DIABLERIE IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY—EARLY TYPES OF THE DIABOLICAL FORMS—ST. ANTHONY—ST. GUTHLAC—REVIVAL OF THE TASTE FOR SUCH SUBJECTS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY—THE FLEMISH SCHOOL OF BREUGHEL—THE FRENCH AND ITALIAN SCHOOLS—CALLOT, SALVATOR ROSA | [288] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| CALLOT AND HIS SCHOOL—CALLOT’S ROMANTIC HISTORY—HIS “CAPRICI,” AND OTHER BURLESQUE WORKS—THE “BALLI” AND THE BEGGARS—IMITATORS OF CALLOT; DELLA BELLA—EXAMPLES OF DELLA BELLA—ROMAIN DE HOOGHE | [300] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| THE SATIRICAL LITERATURE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY—PASQUIL—MACARONIC POETRY—THE EPISTOLÆ OBSCURORUM VIRORUM—RABELAIS—COURT OF THE QUEEN OF NAVARRE, AND ITS LITERARY CIRCLE; BONAVENTURE DES PERIERS—HENRI ETIENNE—THE LIGUE, AND ITS SATIRE: THE “SATYRE MENIPPEE” | [312] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| POLITICAL CARICATURE IN ITS INFANCY—THE REVERS DU JEU DES SUYSSES—CARICATURE IN FRANCE—THE THREE ORDERS—PERIOD OF THE LIGUE; CARICATURES AGAINST HENRI III.—CARICATURES AGAINST THE LIGUE—CARICATURE IN FRANCE IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY—GENERAL GALAS—THE QUARREL OF AMBASSADORS—CARICATURE AGAINST LOUIS XXV.; WILLIAM OF FURSTEMBERG | [347] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| EARLY POLITICAL CARICATURE IN ENGLAND—THE SATIRICAL WRITINGS AND PICTURES OF THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD—SATIRES AGAINST THE BISHOPS; BISHOP WILLIAMS—CARICATURES ON THE CAVALIERS; SIR JOHN SUCKLING—THE ROARING BOYS; VIOLENCE OF THE ROYALIST SOLDIERS—CONTEST BETWEEN THE PRESBYTERIANS AND INDEPENDENTS—GRINDING THE KING’S NOSE—PLAYING-CARDS USED AS THE MEDIUM FOR CARICATURE; HASELRIGGE AND LAMBERT—SHROVETIDE | [360] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| ENGLISH COMEDY—BEN JONSON—THE OTHER WRITERS OF HIS SCHOOL—INTERRUPTION OF DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES—COMEDY AFTER THE RESTORATION—THE HOWARDS BROTHERS; THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM; THE REHEARSAL—WRITERS OF COMEDY IN THE LATTER PART OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY—INDECENCY OF THE STAGE—COLLEY CIBBER—FOOTE | [375] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| CARICATURE IN HOLLAND—ROMAIN DE HOOGHE—THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION—CARICATURES ON LOUIS XIV. AND JAMES II.—DR. SACHEVERELL—CARICATURE BROUGHT FROM HOLLAND TO ENGLAND—ORIGIN OF THE WORD “CARICATURE”—MISSISSIPPI AND THE SOUTH SEA; THE YEAR OF BUBBLES | [406] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. | |
| ENGLISH CARICATURE IN THE AGE OF GEORGE II.—ENGLISH PRINTSELLERS—ARTISTS EMPLOYED BY THEM—SIR ROBERT WALPOLE’S LONG MINISTRY—THE WAR WITH FRANCE—THE NEWCASTLE ADMINISTRATION—OPERA INTRIGUES—ACCESSION OF GEORGE III., AND LORD BUTE IN POWER | [420] |
| CHAPTER XXV. | |
| HOGARTH—HIS EARLY HISTORY—HIS SETS OF PICTURES—THE HARLOT’S PROGRESS—THE RAKE’S PROGRESS—THE MARRIAGE A LA MODE—HIS OTHER PRINTS—THE ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY, AND THE PERSECUTION ARISING OUT OF IT—HIS PATRONAGE BY LORD BUTE—CARICATURE OF THE TIMES—ATTACKS TO WHICH HE WAS EXPOSED BY IT, AND WHICH HASTENED HIS DEATH | [434] |
| CHAPTER XXVI. | |
| THE LESSER CARICATURISTS OF THE REIGN OF GEORGE III.—PAUL SANDBY—COLLET: THE DISASTER, AND FATHER PAUL IN HIS CUPS—JAMES SAYER: HIS CARICATURES IN SUPPORT OF PITT, AND HIS REWARD—CARLO KHAN’S TRIUMPH—BUNBURY’S: HIS CARICATURES ON HORSEMANSHIP—WOODWARD: GENERAL COMPLAINT—ROWLANDSON’S INFLUENCE ON THE STYLE OF THOSE WHOSE DESIGNS HE ETCHED—JOHN KAY OF EDINBURGH: LOOKING A ROCK IN THE FACE | [450] |
| CHAPTER XXVII. | |
| GILLRAY—HIS FIRST ATTEMPTS—HIS CARICATURES BEGIN WITH THE SHELBURNE MINISTRY—IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS—CARICATURES ON THE KING; NEW WAY TO PAY THE NATIONAL DEBT—ALLEGED REASON FOR GILLRAY’S HOSTILITY TO THE KING—THE KING AND THE APPLE-DUMPLINGS—GILLRAY’S LATER LABOURS—HIS IDIOTCY AND DEATH | [464] |
| CHAPTER XXVIII. | |
| GILLRAY’S CARICATURES ON SOCIAL LIFE—THOMAS ROWLANDSON—HIS EARLY LIFE—HE BECOMES A CARICATURIST—HIS STYLE AND WORKS—HIS DRAWINGS—THE CRUIKSHANKS | [480] |
A HISTORY
OF
CARICATURE AND GROTESQUE.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN OF CARICATURE AND GROTESQUE.—SPIRIT OF CARICATURE IN EGYPT.—MONSTERS: PYTHON AND GORGON.—GREECE.—THE DIONYSIAC CEREMONIES, AND ORIGIN OF THE DRAMA.—THE OLD COMEDY.—LOVE OF PARODY.—PARODIES ON SUBJECTS TAKEN FROM GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY: THE VISIT TO THE LOVER: APOLLO AT DELPHI.—THE PARTIALITY FOR PARODY CONTINUED AMONG THE ROMANS: THE FLIGHT OF ÆNEAS.
It is not my intention in the following pages to discuss the question what constitutes the comic or the laughable, or, in other words, to enter into the philosophy of the subject; I design only to trace the history of its outward development, the various forms it has assumed, and its social influence. Laughter appears to be almost a necessity of human nature, in all conditions of man’s existence, however rude or however cultivated; and some of the greatest men of all ages, men of the most refined intellects, such as Cicero in the ages of antiquity, and Erasmus among the moderns, have been celebrated for their indulgence in it. The former was sometimes called by his opponents scurra consularis, the “consular jester;” and the latter, who has been spoken of as the “mocking-bird,” is said to have laughed so immoderately over the well-known “Epistolæ Obscurorum Virorum,” that he brought upon himself a serious fit of illness. The greatest of comic writers, Aristophanes, has always been looked upon as a model of literary perfection. An epigram in the Greek Anthology, written by the divine Plato, tells us how, when the Graces sought a temple which would not fall, they found the soul of Aristophanes:—
Ἁι χάριτες τέμενός τι λαβεῖν ὁπερ οὐχὶ πεσεῖται
Ζητοῦσαι, ψυχὴν εὔρον Ἀριστοφάνους.