From Leonardo's drawings of grotesque heads to contemporary prints lampooning American politicians, the Metropolitan Museum has a vast and largely unknown collection of caricatures and satirical works. This handsome volume offers 160 examples dating from about 1500 to the present - many of them previously unpublished - that reflect the age-old tradition of employing exaggeration and humour to convey personal, social, or political meaning. Stressing the continuity of certain artistic approaches, "Infinite Jest" examines the development of the genre across a broad expanse of centuries. The basic visual components of caricature are discussed and illustrated, as are significant themes such as physical types, people as animals or objects, social satire (food, fashion, and foreigners), and politics (British, French, and American). Artists as well known as Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, William Hogarth, Francisco de Goya, Thomas Rowlandson, Eugene Delacroix, Honore Daumier, and David Levine contribute their distinctive talents to this fascinating and very amusing compilation.

About the Author

Constance C. McPhee is associate curator and Nadine M. Orenstein is curator, both in the Department of Drawings and Prints at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.