Orpheus Playing to the Animals 1500 - 1515

This is ‘Orpheus Playing to the Animals’, a bronze plaquette made by Orpheus Master sometime between 1450 and 1550. The image draws from classical mythology, and we see Orpheus, a legendary musician, charming the animals with his instrument. Look closely, and you'll notice the array of creatures, their postures softened, all listening intently. The appeal of Orpheus has always been his capacity to charm not only the wild beasts but also trees and stones. It's a fantasy about the artist's power, but I think it speaks to something deeper – a longing for harmony, a world where differences dissolve in the face of beauty. What does it mean to find common ground, to create a space where everyone, regardless of background, can listen together? How might we find our own instruments, our own forms of expression, to speak across the divides that separate us?