Head of a Child on the Bow of a Ship, from Divers Masques 1630 - 1650

Editor: Here we have "Head of a Child on the Bow of a Ship, from Divers Masques," created sometime between 1630 and 1650 by François Chauveau. It's an engraving, currently residing at the Met. There's something really peculiar about this head. It’s so… bulbous? Almost cartoonish. I'm curious about how one might interpret it. Curator: Peculiar is a perfect word, wouldn't you agree? This image comes from a series for theatrical productions, full of allegory and hidden meaning. Look closely at the details—the leafy crown, the rather puffed-out cheeks— what does it make you think of? Editor: Well, the leaves do suggest some kind of... figure from mythology? Something related to nature? Curator: Perhaps! He evokes the *spirit* of the voyage itself, like a personification of the ship cleaving through the waves. Notice also how Chauveau renders light and shadow with such fine lines, lending the head a surprisingly weighty presence. Editor: I can see that now. It's amazing how much depth he creates with just lines. But a child, really? It looks more like a stout old man! Curator: (Laughs) Age, in art, is but a metaphor. The child could represent potential, the journey ahead, the hopes for the new world—all embodied in this... let's say *unconventional* cherubic form. Think of it as an emotion rendered visible, a guiding spirit heading bravely forward! What do *you* make of its expression? Editor: Hmmm...determination maybe? Or is that just the angle of the nose? I suppose looking at it as a spirit of the voyage makes more sense than just a chubby kid on a boat! Curator: Precisely! See? Sometimes, art demands we look a bit beyond the surface to feel its true, turbulent depths. Editor: Well, I've certainly learned to never judge a face value... or a *visage* value, for that matter. Curator: Indeed. There is something to discover, in every journey.