Caricature Studies

These ink caricatures by Dr. Prattes, a physician in Beira, Mozambique, exemplify the European tradition of physiognomic satire—drawing exaggerated facial features to mock or characterize subjects. The technique descends from 18th-century caricaturists like Gillray and Rowlandson, who used distorted profiles and grotesque mouths for political ridicule. Here, the sketches capture individual likenesses through deformation, a method that influenced early comic art and advertising illustration. The etched or drawn style reflects amateur practice within colonial administrative circles, where caricature served as entertainment.