Two deformed heads 1645 - 1650

Editor: Here we have "Two deformed heads," a quirky print made between 1645 and 1650 by Wenceslaus Hollar. It's rendered with such fine lines, capturing these almost grotesque figures. What strikes me is the sheer strangeness of the two subjects staring at each other. What's your take on this bizarre double portrait? Curator: Bizarre is a great word! Hollar, you know, he had this fantastic ability to walk a tightrope between scientific observation and just letting his imagination run wild. It feels like peering into the looking glass, doesn't it? Editor: Totally! So, is there a deeper meaning behind the exaggeration? Curator: Maybe. Think about caricature as a release valve. Society held these rigid ideas of beauty, right? Then along comes Hollar and says, “Nah, let’s push those boundaries!” I always wonder, what were they like in reality? What do you suppose? Editor: It’s hard to say, but maybe Hollar amplified features that already existed, adding humor – albeit dark humor. Were prints like this popular at the time? Curator: Massively popular! It’s funny, isn’t it? How something so rooted in a specific era can still feel so…provocative. What will people in two hundred years think when *they* look at our…well…our memes? Editor: Good point! I guess capturing and distorting the human form has always been a way to explore… ourselves. It’s much more involved than appearances. It also represents personality in a particular social or historical framework. Curator: Spot on! It just speaks to how we all see each other and want to be seen.