Puck c. 1856

Harriet Goodhue Hosmer crafted this marble sculpture of Puck, a figure drawn from folklore. The impish Puck, seated on a mushroom, clutches a beetle, a symbol that evolves through time. Consider the beetle. In ancient Egypt, the scarab beetle was sacred, representing rebirth and transformation, a symbol of the sun’s daily renewal. Yet, centuries later, the beetle takes on darker connotations in folklore, linked to decay and the hidden world, as something sinister and mischievous. Hosmer’s Puck captures this duality. His cherubic features and delicate wings suggest innocence, yet the beetle and his knowing gaze hint at a more complex nature. The image evokes the fears and fascinations of the natural world that lie deep within our collective memory, a powerful force that engages viewers on a subconscious level, inviting us to confront the shadows within ourselves. This cycle of light and dark continues.