A banknote and certificate engraver by profession, Richard Baratz joined the American Banknote Company as a journeyman picture engraver. Vincent Sardi says, “if you look closely you will see his background as a banknote engraver coming out. The detail in his work is fantastic. It gives the caricatures a rich look, even from a distance.”

In 1994, Richard was hired by the Bob Hope Cultural Center and the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert California, to caricature their patrons and celebrity performers.

In 2001, Richard entered into a new venture with The Naples Banknote Company. He is illustrating banknote style drawings to be sold as collectible pieces of art.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he began doing caricatures while a student at The School of Visual Arts. He also attended the American Art School, where he studied under the late Henry Maurer. In additions to his caricatures, Richard does serious paintings and graphic work. Illustrations by Richard Baratz (which include political cartoons and caricatures) have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, and The Wall Street Journal.

Richard Baratz resides in Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

“The success of a drawing has a lot to do with the personality of the individual. In caricature, it’s not just the face. It can be a certain look in the eye, or a certain way a person laughs. I go after that suggestion and exaggerate.”