Head of a Girl. Probably the Daughter of J-F de Troy 1740 - 1744

Curator: It's impossible not to be drawn in by this tender portrait bust. Here we have "Head of a Girl, Probably the Daughter of J-F de Troy" sculpted in wood, dating back to 1740-1744 by Jacques François Joseph Saly, housed right here at the SMK. What’s your take, formally speaking? Editor: Intriguing. My first impression is how its subtle baroque gestures, seen most clearly in the gentle curve of her neckline, clash in ways that highlight, yet seem to downplay, emotion through very subtle classicist inflections. Curator: Exactly. It's as if Saly were wrestling with the very idea of representation. The baroque spirit with the neo-classicist's love for clean lines... there's almost a tension there. The subject herself is very charming; she seems shy or thoughtful in a way only childhood can truly know. The medium and his careful craftsmanship have made her seem almost alive after all these years. Editor: Yes, I'm fascinated by that tension you mention, specifically where those styles attempt to negotiate with one another formally. Consider the way her gaze drifts downward; its gentle slope and implied absence contrast powerfully with the rigidity of the support and how this interplay invites very curious interpretations. Curator: Beautifully observed. One also can’t help wondering, you know, about the story *behind* her downcast eyes. It also suggests some larger feeling like isolation... but there’s also serenity, no? I want to believe she’s simply daydreaming... lost in her own private universe of make-believe. Do you think its wood construction brings another level of depth? I suspect if done in marble we would have a far different experience. Editor: Indeed. The choice of wood is materially critical to her intimate feeling because its particular warmth contrasts elegantly against cool reserve: it simultaneously invites both formal inquiry, and empathic understanding, thereby enabling endless avenues of appreciation. Curator: Avenues, perhaps, to endless private worlds? Editor: Indeed.