Marco and Carlo: Caricature of Two Men Standing Face to Face 1674 - 1755

Pier Leone Ghezzi rendered this ink drawing of two men sometime in the first half of the 18th century. Here, we observe the grotesque, a visual language with roots stretching back to ancient festivals, a release from the ideal into the realm of the absurd. Consider the exaggerated features, the bulbous nose, and the thin frame—these distortions are not mere jest. They echo the ancient satyr plays of Greece, where masks amplified human follies, serving as a conduit for communal catharsis. The grotesque resurfaces in medieval gargoyles, warding off evil with their ugliness. This image is more than mockery; it is a mirror reflecting our own imperfections, our fears of the body's decay. This motif has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.