Caricature of the artist Emmerico Nunes 1909

This is Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso’s caricature of the artist Emmerico Nunes, made with black ink. Souza-Cardoso was having a laugh, right? The painting is hilarious. It looks like it was done in one shot, the artist letting loose with big gestures of thick black ink. His confident strokes remind me of artists like Picabia, even Man Ray, who were busy messing with portraiture in the early 20th century. It makes me think about how artists were bouncing ideas off each other, each one trying to figure out their own path. The guy’s leg is propped up with his shoe right up against his mate’s neck! It's the kind of posture that screams 'arrogant', but it’s playful, too. Look at his face! Is he screaming or laughing? Or both? Souza-Cardoso really understood how painting, and in this case drawing, could communicate a whole messy bundle of feelings. These early artists were creating a space where ambiguity was welcomed.