Caricature of a Man in the Small Hat

Claude Monet's "Caricature of a Man in the Small Hat" (1855/56) is a graphite drawing on cream wove paper that focuses on a distinctive fashion accessory—a small hat—as the defining feature of the subject. The man's small hat, perhaps absurdly proportioned or old-fashioned, becomes the focal point of the caricature, with the rest of the features arranged around it. This approach—identifying a single salient feature or attribute and building the caricature around it—was standard practice in the caricature tradition, and the teenage Monet handles it with professional assurance. The cream wove paper provides a smooth surface for the graphite. This drawing dates from Monet's mid-teens and represents the earliest phase of his artistic career, before he had any thought of becoming a revolutionary painter. Yet the skills he developed in these caricatures—the sharp eye for visual character, the confident hand, the ability to capture essence with economy—would serve him throughout his career, informing even his most radical Impressionist works.

The draftsmanship Monet developed in his teenage caricatures provided the foundation for his entire career, the ability to capture visual essence with economy that would distinguish his most radical experiments with light and color.

This caricature of a man in a small hat shows the teenage Monet at his most playful, the exaggerated headgear becoming the focal point of a drawing that reveals the future master's sharp eye and confident hand.