Female bust 

Mariano Fortuny Marsal sketched this female bust in pencil, capturing a serene yet haunting essence. The subject's gaze, averted yet intense, carries a weight familiar from ancient Roman portraiture, where busts immortalized individuals with gravitas. Consider the hairstyle, reminiscent of early Renaissance Madonnas—a symbol of purity and idealized beauty. This motif echoes through art history, resurfacing in various forms, each reflecting its era's values. In Fortuny's sketch, it evokes a sense of timelessness, a connection to our collective memory. The averted gaze, also, is a visual language, inviting contemplation, stirring subconscious recognition of mourning or introspection. Such gestures resonate beyond their immediate context, engaging viewers on a deep psychological level. Symbols are cyclical, reappearing, evolving, and acquiring new meanings.