Wednesdays, May 12 – June 2, 6 – 8pm
Honoré Daumier. Nadar Elevating Photography to the Status of Art (detail), 1862. Rosenwald Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
Caricature has long used humor and exaggeration to comment on society, culture, and politics. From biting newspaper cartoons to exaggerated portraits of public figures, artists have employed satire to entertain audiences and encourage critical reflection.
In this four-session online course, we’ll look at how modern caricature developed in Europe and the United States, with a focus on celebrated French artist Honoré Daumier (1808–1879), whose sharp observations of everyday life made him a key figure of the form.
During the course, we’ll encounter Daumier’s contemporaries, including Paul Gavarni, J. J. Grandville, James Gillray, George Cruikshank, and Thomas Nast, as we explore how caricature flourished with the growth of newspapers and the popular press. Together, we’ll consider how these artists found humor—and often serious commentary—in art exhibitions, changing roles for women, social customs, and the politics of their day.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
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- Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Honoré Daumier. Nadar Elevating Photography to the Status of Art, 1862. Rosenwald Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Instructor
Caterina Pierre
Pierre is a professor of art history at the City University of New York at Kingsborough Community College and visiting associate professor at the Pratt Institute. She has taught about art and crime at CUNY Kingsborough, Pratt, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York. She is currently working on a book about cemetery sculpture as political art in the late 19th century and another on Ernest Durig, a forger of the sculptor Auguste Rodin.
What Our Students Say
“The instructor was not only knowledgeable but so accessible, and such an inviting presence. She provided great reading to supplement the course.” —Mary Cassatt: Art, Identity, and Independence with Larissa Bailiff
“Pierre brings the art alive with her inside stories and images and how she interacts with the students. She is always able to answer and follow up with more information at the next class.” —Exhibiting Modernism: From the Salon to the Avant-Garde with Caterina Pierre
“Alison Boyd was engaging and effective during the online instruction, and she offered well-selected background materials for further reading.” —Aaron Douglas from Harlem to Philly with Alison Boyd
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