The names of the most famous cartoonists are well known to connoisseurs of this genre. Among the many brilliant masters we can highlight the following:
- William Hogarth (1697-1754) – the founder of satirical engravings in world art and one of the founders of the British school of painting. A distinctive feature of his work is the creation of entire cycles of satirical engravings on various subjects. By the end of his life Hogarth officially became the chief painter of England.
- James Gilray (1757-1815) was an outstanding British cartoonist. Often ridiculed Napoleon in his works. According to eyewitnesses, Bonaparte even promised to strangle the artist in person for his vividly offensive engravings.
- Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) was the most famous cartoonist of the 19th century, a bold and independent artist. He is the author of more than 8,000 satirical engravings and drawings on political and social subjects. He is also known for his paintings and sculptures in the style of realism.
- Alex Gard (Alexei Mikhailovich Kremkov) (1898-1948) was a man of complicated fate and great talent. A professional naval officer by training, he emigrated to the United States after the revolution. For 22 years, he drew caricatures of visitors to Sardi’s restaurant in New York for food. He left more than 700 images of American celebrities of the mid-twentieth century for posterity.
- Boris Yefimov (1900-2008) was a famous master of propaganda cartoons. He took an active part in all political campaigns of the Soviet power. He lived until the age of 107 and during his career created more than 70,000 satirical drawings “Kukryniksy” – creative pseudonym of the collective of three Soviet artists (Mikhail Kupriyanov, Porfiry Krylov and Nikolay Sokolov). They worked in the genre of political cartoons, for more than 50 years they created colorful Soviet propaganda posters and leaflets.
Even today, caricature remains an extremely important genre of visual art for society. It is enjoyed by audiences of all ages, genders, and social statuses, faithfully fulfilling its functions.