Aphrodite en Eros (1925) 1925

This medal, Aphrodite en Eros, was made in 1925 by L.-C. Mascaux, and it’s all about the way figures emerge from a ground. There’s a soft glow in the patina of the bronze, the figures raised slightly as though breathing, creating this tactile push and pull of space. On one side, Aphrodite, a figure of maternal grace, sits, almost mirroring the delicate Eros, who offers her a flower. On the reverse, the figures float on the waves. These forms are not just seen, but felt through the subtle variations in the metal's surface. Look closely at the drapery on Aphrodite: it’s not just a line, but an unfolding form. Mascaux's work reminds me of the art of antiquity, where form and content are so intertwined, they become inseparable, where the gesture and the subject become the same thing. In this piece, ambiguity isn't a flaw; it’s an invitation to experience art as a fluid, ongoing dialogue.