Untitled (Birds with Faces) 

Here we see an oil painting by Luis Dourdil, depicting a figure resting, their face obscured by their arm. This gesture speaks to a universal language of sorrow, resignation, and introspection. The act of covering or hiding the face is deeply resonant throughout art history. In classical depictions of mourning, we often see figures veiling their faces, a symbol of grief and a desire to retreat from the world. Consider, for example, the many renditions of veiled Madonnas throughout the Renaissance; or in contrast, the work of Edvard Munch and his use of the motif of covering the face, to express intense psychological distress and alienation. Such gestures aren't merely stylistic choices; they tap into our collective unconscious. We all understand, on a primal level, the desire to hide when overwhelmed by emotion. The position in Dourdil’s piece isn't just an image of sorrow, it’s an invitation to feel it, too. It is a continuous thread that weaves through time, reappearing in art across cultures and eras, each time colored by the specific context, yet united by the fundamental human experience of anguish and withdrawal.