Karikaturen 1708 - 1768

This drawing, Karikaturen, was created by Philipp Jacques Loutherbourg I in the 18th century. Look at the composition and the lines: dozens of faces overlap. The effect is like a field of possible identities, a play on character. The faces are drawn in a quick, economical style, almost like a series of fleeting impressions rather than formal portraits. We might read this as an exploration into physiognomy, the now-discredited idea that one’s character is reflected in their physical appearance. The arrangement encourages us to compare features—noses, chins, foreheads—as if searching for clues to some hidden truth. Loutherbourg uses line not just to define form but to suggest a fluid, unstable relationship between appearance and identity. The drawing prompts us to question fixed notions of the self, reminding us that identity is constructed, performed, and endlessly interpreted.