Mid-19th-century Relief Caricature: A Beggar's Face 1/

For centuries, artists have depicted—with a clear-eyed gaze, sometimes harsh, often full of humanity—the physical misery of the people they encounter on the streets.
From da Vinci to Callot, the beggar has been a compelling subject; in the 19th century, caricaturists took up the theme. 
Here, the artist has employed a striking relief technique, rendering the body in watercolor while emphasizing the face—afflicted with terrible deformities—which is likely crafted in relief from papier-mâché. 
With an eye patch, a drooping lip, a lopsided face, and an astonishing countenance—worthy of the Museum of the Academy of Medicine. 
The signature remains indecipherable for now, but the style is unquestionably that of the mid-19th century.
The frame, a box with a gilded molding, is original.
Another beggar is shown next, in an identical frame and bearing the same signature.