Masked Ball in Paris 

Jules-Alexandre Grun captured this masked ball in Paris with oil on canvas, a dizzying array of masquerades where identities are hidden and revealed. The masks, costumes, and revelry offer a glimpse into the collective unconscious. Consider the figure wearing a rooster head. This symbol resonates with ancient beliefs, from the rooster's association with dawn and vigilance to its role in pagan rituals. In ancient Greece, the rooster was sacrificed to Asclepius, the god of healing, linking it to ideas of renewal and protection. The image of the rooster transcends time. It resurfaces in medieval bestiaries as a symbol of lust, and later, in Renaissance art, as an attribute of Saint Peter, reminding us of denial and redemption. This motif is far from linear; it is cyclical. It reappears, evolves, and takes on new meanings, reflecting the depths of human experience.