Saterkop met opengesperde mond 1510 - 1546

Giulio Romano sketched this "Satyr Head with Gaping Mouth" sometime before 1546 with pen in brown ink. Observe the grotesque mask, where the gaping mouth becomes a focal point, a visual echo of primal fear and raw emotion. This motif can be traced back to antiquity, recurring in theatrical masks and depictions of mythological creatures like the Gorgon, each iteration serving as a vessel for societal anxieties and subconscious desires. Consider the lasting influence of the mask of tragedy from ancient Greek theatre: often employed to evoke feelings of catharsis, where viewers confront their deepest fears and are cleansed by experiencing these emotions vicariously. Romano’s mask invites us to consider how these symbols persist, adapt, and resurface, bearing witness to the ceaseless flow of human experience across time.