Mid-19th-century Relief Caricature: The Face Of A Beggar 1/

In the 19th century, cartoonists had a field day criticizing the powerful or illustrating the world’s miseries.
Here, our artist has taken an original approach by combining watercolor for the body and clothing with what is likely painted papier-mâché to create a horribly distorted yet realistic face.
The hair is made of tow. The facial deformities are terrifying, but in a world where infections were rampant, they are perfectly realistic.
This is similar to the modeling clay techniques artists use to create animations today.
The result is fascinating—and unsettling. 
The relief enhances the perception, which is extremely creative.
The work is signed, but the signature is currently illegible.
The framing is made from the original box, so that the relief has room to stand out.
It is truly a record of how poverty was perceived during that era.