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This haunting head was painted in 1956 by Karel Appel, using raw, vibrant colors. The face, fragmented and intensely expressive, echoes the primitive masks found across cultures. Notice the stark eyes and jagged teeth—a grimace that evokes ancient ritualistic expressions. This crude form reminds us of the "Mask of Hannya" from Japanese Noh theatre, used to portray tormented female demons. Like the Hannya mask, Appel's subject radiates intense emotions—pain, fear, perhaps even a desperate plea. Such representations appear throughout history, from Paleolithic cave paintings to modern Expressionism. They resurface in times of upheaval, bearing witness to the collective anxieties etched in our subconscious. It’s as if primal emotions, buried deep within our psyche, are awakened and thrust onto the canvas. This image, raw and visceral, connects us to the timeless human experience of dread and catharsis.