David with the Head of Goliath after 1605

Guido Reni rendered this drawing, David with the Head of Goliath, using pen and brown ink with brown wash over black chalk. Here, David stands triumphant, a classical hero, but consider the weight of the severed head of Goliath. This image is steeped in the symbolism of victory and the vanquishing of the monstrous other. The motif of the severed head carries a visceral charge. Think of Medusa in classical mythology, whose gaze could turn men to stone; her head, once severed, retained its power, becoming a symbol of protection when placed on Athena's shield. In this drawing, we witness how the artist taps into our collective fascination with such potent iconography. The head, once a source of terror, is now a trophy, yet it retains an unsettling presence, a memento mori that speaks to the cyclical nature of power and death.