Margot la Critique 1854

Félix Bracquemond made this etching, "Margot la Critique," sometime in the 19th century. It depicts a large bird perched on a globe, surrounded by text. Made in France, this image lampoons the role of critics in the art world. The bird, a magpie or "Margot," is shown squawking loudly, its wings spread wide. The globe beneath its feet is labeled with places like "Opera," "Museum," and "Academie," suggesting the magpie dominates the entire art world. The French art world at this time was centered on the annual Salon exhibitions. Critics held immense power as gatekeepers. The text surrounding the image is a poem, further satirizing the critic's self-importance. To fully understand this artwork, we could consult period newspapers, artists' letters, and Salon reviews to capture the social dynamics of the French art scene at the time. This would give us a sense of the institutional context of the art.