It turns out there is no history of caricatures, at least not one that’s worth a damn. You might assume there was, and that possibly it might be Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine. The book, a very nice production for coffee tables, is derived from the exhibit of the same name, one mounted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and due to remain there until March. The book version contains 160 ably reproduced sketches, drawings, engravings, etchings, and lithographs that make people look funny. Many of these range from fresh to dazzling, and the rest at least have value as social documents. But the text, including the various pictures’ lengthy captions, is close to brainless.
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