Moroccan soldier 

Mariano Fortuny Marsal captured this Moroccan soldier with oil on canvas. The figure stands draped in a white cloth, holding a long, dark instrument resembling a horn. The white fabric, enveloping the figure, speaks to a complex interplay of concealment and revelation. In many cultures, white is symbolic of purity, spirituality, but it can also denote anonymity. This headdress recalls the veils and shrouds found in various traditions, from the veiled figures of antiquity to modern religious practices, where the act of covering oneself signifies a transition, a rite of passage, or a separation from the mundane. Consider the ancient Greek concept of "pharmakos," where an individual is sacrificed to purify the community. Is the soldier in a state of readiness, set apart from the everyday, burdened with the weight of his role? Through a glass darkly, we see how symbols persist, evolving and adapting, yet echoing through time.