The She-Goat Suckling Daphnis 1800

Curator: This is Barthélemy Joseph Fulcran Roger's "The She-Goat Suckling Daphnis." I see it as a tender snapshot from ancient myth. Editor: My first impression is that this print is incredibly unsettling. The shepherd seems to be discovering the infant suckling from the goat, and his expression is aggressive and possessive. Curator: Aggressive? I read it more as surprise, perhaps even a sense of wonder. The artist uses light and shadow to create a sense of drama, but also softness in the figures. Editor: But isn't the mythology of abandoned children being raised by animals deeply problematic, almost a romanticization of neglect, especially within systems that historically devalue certain lives? Curator: You’re right to point that out, but I also think the image speaks to resilience, to the primal connection between life and nourishment, wherever it’s found. Editor: Perhaps. I still can’t quite shake the image of the shepherd, the assumed patriarch, looming over this moment. It speaks volumes about who is allowed to claim these narratives. Curator: And perhaps that tension is precisely what makes the artwork so compelling! It's a complex layering of vulnerability and power, isn't it? Editor: Yes, it makes you really think about the different perspectives at play here.