Why are Agostino Carracci’s works considered early examples of true caricature?

Agostino Carracci’s works are considered early examples of true caricature because they represent the first instances where the satirical portrait of an individual can be identified.1

While earlier artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and Hieronymus Bosch produced works containing exaggerated features, bodily dislocations, or subjective observations, these are generally classified as "near caricature" rather than true caricature in the modern sense.1

Agostino Carracci, a late 16th-century Bolognese painter, moved beyond these earlier forms by engaging in the impartial, satirical depiction of specific individuals—often caricaturing fellow artists in the studio or people observed in the street. This shift reflected a growing ease among artists regarding their social position and occupation, allowing for a clearer distinction between objective observation and subjective, comic commentary. This development eventually led to the rise of connoisseurship and the collection of such drawings in the 17th century.1