Barberini Faun, after antiquity c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have a small intaglio by the Pichler family, depicting the Barberini Faun. I’m struck by how such a sensual sculpture gets reinterpreted on this tiny, almost clinical surface. How do you read this contrast? Curator: This miniaturization, a copy of a famous Hellenistic sculpture, speaks volumes about the circulation of power and desire. Think about who commissioned and possessed these objects. What narratives were they trying to reproduce and control? Editor: So, it's less about the Faun himself and more about the statement made by owning such an image? Curator: Precisely. Consider the gaze, the ownership, and the historical context. It offers insight into how classical ideals were re-appropriated to enforce contemporary social hierarchies. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about; the act of owning art as an act of enforcing specific world views. Curator: Exactly, and in this small object, it speaks volumes about a much wider cultural canvas.