Caricature as Portraiture: A Conversation with Tim Menees

While much of the history of portraiture involves capturing a dignified portrayal of a sitter, there is a time-honored alternative tradition that uses humor and exaggeration to satirize someone or provide commentary on political or other current events. From Andrew Carnegie to Mayor Tom Murphy, how does caricature work, and what motivations and creative processes drive it?

Join the Heinz History Center for an evening of musings on caricature and portraiture with one of Pittsburgh’s most renowned cartoonists, Tim Menees. We’ll hear the rarely heard stories behind his cartoons that made Menees enamored with satirizing Pittsburgh and its people for decades. We’ll also catch an early glimpse into Menees’ vast collection of original sketches and cartoons, which he donated to the History Center in 2017. A parking chair with Menees’ caricature of Mayor Tom Murphy appears in the Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the National Portrait Gallery exhibit at the History Center.