Caricature Showing Marie Antoinette as a Dragon 1700 - 1800

This caricature presents Marie Antoinette as a dragon, a potent symbol, rendered by an anonymous artist. The dragon, a hybrid creature, embodies a fusion of animalistic and human traits, reflecting deep-seated fears and anxieties. Consider the medieval dragon, a guardian of treasure, often embodying greed and destruction. Here, the artist draws on that archetype. This monster, complete with serpentine tail and scaled body, is given the head of the Queen. The figure is a monstrous distortion, underscoring an inherent distrust of female power and its association with chaos. We see echoes of this monstrous-feminine motif in other depictions of powerful women—Lilith, Medusa—figures who challenge the patriarchal order. The dragon embodies the anxieties of a culture facing upheaval, channeling fear into a monstrous, yet strangely compelling image.