The Poet (Le poète) 1933

Jacques Villon made this etching, titled 'The Poet', in France, sometime in the early 20th century. The artist's decision to portray a poet through the fractured lens of cubism invites us to consider the evolving role of the artist in society. During Villon's time, the traditional structures of artistic patronage were shifting, and artists increasingly sought independence. The cubist style, with its fragmented forms and multiple perspectives, mirrored the social fragmentation of the time and challenged traditional notions of representation. The poet, often seen as a visionary, is here depicted as a figure wrestling with the complexities of a changing world. Was Villon perhaps suggesting that art-making was mirroring the alienation of modern life? To gain a deeper understanding of this image, we might look to period publications, exhibition reviews, and artists' manifestos. These can help us to shed light on the complex relationship between art, society, and the individual.