Head of a Faun 

Editor: Here we have Jacob Jordaens’ "Head of a Faun," an oil painting. I'm struck by the directness of the gaze and the kind of…earthy, almost brutal, honesty in the depiction. What's your read on this? Curator: It’s interesting you use the word "brutal". What does brutality look like, feel like here? This isn’t just a mythological figure; it’s a portrait imbued with a raw, unflinching humanity, a figure that transcends pure myth. What historical and societal currents do you think might have prompted Jordaens to create this portrayal of the Faun? Editor: Perhaps the chaos of the Baroque period and its focus on realism led artists to portray even mythical creatures with a certain honesty, even rawness? The Faun is still a ‘monster,’ just more... human? Curator: Precisely. The Baroque wrestled with power dynamics, with societal upheaval. Do you notice how Jordaens doesn’t shy away from the faun’s aged features? It seems as if there is no "fantasy filter" here. What could that tell us? Editor: Maybe he wanted to depict these creatures with real flaws as reflections of humanity’s own shortcomings. By giving mythological figures ordinary bodies and faces, Jordaens almost democratizes the world of myth. Curator: An interesting proposition. Do you believe that it allows viewers to find a point of connection between the mortal realm and figures who are perceived to have superior traits? This invites us to reconsider how identities, be they human or mythical, are constructed, challenging preconceived ideas of purity and beauty. Editor: That makes me think about identity now, about how the portrayal of the 'other' shifts with changing social and political landscapes. Thank you for that perspective. Curator: Likewise! I hadn’t thought about the "democratizing" of myth in those specific terms, but it opens a lot of doors to further dialogue, which is what art should do.