Helje 

Theodor Severin Kittelsen rendered this drawing of a man using graphite. His silhouette is a study in concealed malevolence. The pointed nose and jutting chin immediately suggest a character of cunning and perhaps cruelty. It evokes the archetype of the trickster found across cultures, from Loki in Norse mythology to the commedia dell'arte's Harlequin. These figures, though often comical, harbor a darker edge—a willingness to disrupt order and deceive for their own amusement. Consider the recurring motif of the hooked nose in caricatures throughout history. Often used to dehumanize and stereotype, it becomes a marker of the outsider, the 'other.' Kittelsen’s decision to emphasize this feature taps into deep-seated anxieties about the unknown and the untrustworthy. The hat, casting a shadow over the face, further obscures his intentions. This is not merely a portrait but an exploration of the shadow self, the part of us we keep hidden, that bubbles up from the subconscious. Such characters remind us that the line between civilization and savagery is frighteningly thin.