"Preparing for the Pantomime" 1836 - 1864

Editor: So, this is "Preparing for the Pantomime" by John Leech, sometime between 1836 and 1864, a watercolor and ink drawing. I'm struck by the grotesque caricatures, almost like something out of a dark fairy tale. What stands out to you? Curator: The grotesque is exactly the point, isn't it? Leech, known for his work in Punch magazine, taps into a long history of visual satire. Caricature isn’t merely distortion; it’s a language of cultural critique. Have you noticed the oversized nose? Editor: I did! It's practically weaponized. Curator: Indeed. Think of the nose as a signifier – of power, perhaps, or of social commentary. Throughout history, exaggerated noses have been used to represent various 'others' – figures of authority, foreigners, or even figures deemed undesirable by society. Leech is working within this visual vocabulary. What associations does the pantomime evoke for you? Editor: The pantomime is about illusion, transformation... so is the artist pointing at the constructed nature of identity and how easily we embrace exaggerated versions of it? Curator: Precisely! The image is laden with a carnivalesque spirit. We must see beyond simple humour to observe cultural anxieties, fears and aspirations coded in apparently 'funny' images like this one. The cultural memory embedded in symbols, visual tropes, all contribute to the psychological and sociological effects the imagery produces on an individual and collective level. Editor: That's a fascinating perspective. I never thought about caricature as carrying so much cultural weight. It is definitely more than a bit funny, for sure! Curator: Exactly. It makes you think twice about the cultural messages embedded even in the simplest images, doesn't it? I shall keep an eye out from now on!