Kentaur 17th century

Willem van Haecht II created this drawing, Kentaur, using pen and brown ink, during the first half of the 17th century. Born in Antwerp, he was deeply embedded in a society undergoing massive shifts in power and perception. His depiction of a centaur carrying a child transcends mere mythological representation. The muscularity of the centaur, coupled with the vulnerable yet assertive child, speaks to broader issues of power dynamics, specifically the relationship between masculinity and innocence. The centaur, a symbol of untamed nature, is softened by the child’s presence, reflecting an interplay of brute strength and nascent control. It invites us to contemplate the complex intersections of nature and nurture, power and innocence, rendered through the artist's hand.