Kop van de eenhoorn van een antiek standbeeld before 1914

Editor: We are looking at “Head of a Unicorn from an Antique Statue” by Thiebautz, dating to before 1914. It’s an etching on metal, a print. I'm struck by the stark realism despite it depicting such a fantastical creature. What catches your eye? Curator: The beautiful paradox, really. It’s like a hyper-realistic dream, isn't it? That texture, achieved through the etching – you can practically feel the cool smoothness of the marble the original sculpture must have been made from, whilst contemplating an impossible animal. But it also makes you think, doesn’t it? What did the unicorn symbolize then, versus now? A lost purity? A wild, untamable spirit reduced to a stony fragment? Editor: That's interesting... It feels like more than just a study of form; almost an elegy. Curator: Precisely! It is haunting, yes? Look closely at the eye – that small, shadowed circle seems to hold a world of ancient knowledge and, dare I say, disappointment. Do you find a melancholy in its gaze too? Editor: I think I do, now that you mention it. I hadn't picked up on that initially. Perhaps it's not just about the mythical creature but also the passage of time and the decay of classical ideals. Curator: Beautifully put. The artist captured more than just the likeness; they’ve captured a mood, a whisper of history. It makes you wonder about the sculptor, the original intent. The print, therefore, becomes a translation, another layer of interpretation between then and now. We are but gazing at shadows… beautiful shadows, of course! Editor: It's incredible how much depth there is in what initially seemed like a straightforward depiction. Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about!