Head of St. John the Evangelist 

This is Leonardo da Vinci's "Head of St. John the Evangelist," housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg. The work is dominated by warm, muted tones, with soft gradations of light and shadow that give it a dreamlike quality. The texture is smooth, the form and composition are structured by the play of light and shadow. Looking closely, the young man's gaze is averted, his features softly modeled, creating an impression of introspection. His hand touches his chest; it's as if he is connecting to his inner self. In Da Vinci's time, sight was regarded as the most important sense for experiencing the external world, and the averted gaze, in turn, served to access the inner world. This reflects a broader philosophical concern of the Renaissance, which explored the relationship between the inner, spiritual life, and the outer, material world. The ambiguous expression and placement of the hand leaves room for multiple interpretations. The artwork engages with new ways of thinking about perception, and ultimately invites us to meditate on the nature of faith, identity, and inner experience.