Framed Funnies

Visual op-ed: Nick Anderson’s Wilting in the Heat, 2008. Courtesy Nasher Museum of Art

An exhibition exploring the historical significance and impact of political caricature opened at the Nasher Museum of Art in February. Images from the past, such as those depicting French king Louis-Philippe drawn by Honoré Daumier and his contemporaries, appear alongside work produced much more recently, during the tenures of U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The exhibition, "Lines of Attack: Conflicts in Caricature," highlights the development of graphic satire as a significant journalistic medium, explores its strengths and limitations as a catalyst for debate, and investigates caricature's prospective place within emerging Web-based media.

Neil McWilliam, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of art and art history, was guest curator for the exhibition. It will be on view through May 16.