Faun kust een naakte vrouw, waarachter schaars geklede mannen en vrouwen door een gordijn gaan 1864

Felicien Rops made this etching called 'Faun kissing a naked woman, behind which scantily clad men and women pass through a curtain' in the late 19th century. The artist lived in Belgium and France, and became famous for illustrating the publication, Les Diaboliques. This drawing is reminiscent of that, as it depicts a world of fantasy and supposed freedom, but it also looks like a stage. Rops' artwork reflects his interest in the tension between outward social appearance and human drives. The artist challenges conventional notions of beauty by juxtaposing classical imagery with contemporary dress, offering commentary on the societal norms and moral values of his time. To fully understand the meaning of this image, one might consult a wide variety of sources such as auction catalogs, biographies of the artist, and perhaps most especially histories of theatre and public spectacle in France at the time. This is the task of the social art historian: to situate the artwork in its specific time and place.