Karikatuurportret van Johan Gram 1860 - 1899

Elchanon Verveer made this caricature portrait of Johan Gram in graphite on paper. The drawing presents a figure with exaggerated features, immediately evoking a sense of playful mockery. The composition relies on the contrast between detailed rendering of Gram's face and the looser handling of the suit and limbs, emphasizing his bulging cheeks, and monocle. Verveer uses hatching and cross-hatching to create tonal variations, defining form and texture with subtle gradations. The slightly distorted proportions, particularly the elongated limbs and small feet, contribute to the overall effect of ridicule, destabilizing established meanings of dignified portraiture. This caricature functions as a semiotic system, where visual components serve as signs pointing to cultural codes of class, status, and identity. The artist invites ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.