Fable and Truth c. 19th century

Editor: So, this is "Fable and Truth" by Jean-Michel Moreau. It's a tiny engraving, which makes the detail even more impressive. It feels… well, a bit staged, like a philosophical play. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It whispers of choices, doesn’t it? The raw, unadorned figure of Fable, against the draped, almost theatrical Truth. It's as if Moreau is asking: what do we choose to believe? What illusions do we like best? Editor: So it's a commentary on storytelling itself? Curator: Perhaps! Or on how we dress up reality. It’s all about the layers we add, or strip away, to find what resonates. Which one calls to you most strongly? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way! I guess I'm drawn to the search for... well, for some kind of truth, somewhere in between. Curator: It’s a tricky path, isn’t it? Maybe the fable *is* the truth, in its own way.