Kopf eines nach links gewendeten Flußgottes mit einem Schilfkranz 

Curator: Oh, I love this one. There’s something so wonderfully old-world about it. The artist, Nicolas Guibal, gives us what is called "Head of a River God Turned to the Left, with a Reed Crown." It is housed here at the Städel Museum, done in red chalk. What catches your eye first? Editor: The wistful gaze upwards. He looks so peaceful, almost melancholic, lost in thought... or maybe he is just watching for rain! Is there a connection, do you think, to other depictions of deities from the time, in terms of their serenity or role? Curator: Good question. River gods were often depicted as personifications of rivers, and of natural abundance. The reed crown here is not only a classical motif, but speaks directly to the bounty of nature... yet, you are right, there is a profound gentleness. Maybe the lack of other context allows for a real interiority here. Editor: Indeed. The absence of a body grounds the face, focuses our attention. In my reading, his is the knowing look of endurance, having witnessed human history unfold along the riverbanks. What do you make of Guibal’s artistic technique? It feels so skilled. Curator: Absolutely! Notice the delicate hatching that gives the beard such volume and texture. Then consider the smooth, almost porcelain quality of the skin on the face—achieved with just chalk. It feels, actually, less like we are looking at a drawing, but a sculpted head emerging from a clay. Editor: That resonates. I keep thinking of the embodied knowledge residing in those hands, coaxing the essence of the god from simple chalk and paper, knowing when to reveal, and where to leave just hints of potential. Curator: Well put! And it also brings home the universal desire to capture the transient, perhaps like the ceaseless flowing of a river. To find stillness within. Editor: It definitely feels like a celebration, a nod to the power of nature, as much as to the skill of the artist to reveal something timeless and vital through art. Thanks for sharing!