Mary 

Robert William Buss created this scene depicting Mary, rendered with etching. Observe the witch-like figure and the elegant woman; a dichotomy that embodies the perpetual dance between light and shadow within the human psyche. The hag, disheveled and wretched, recalls the archetypal crone found in folklore across Europe and beyond. Her image is an echo of the ancient fear of the unknown, the untamed, and the feminine divorced from societal norms. Conversely, the poised woman represents the ideals of virtue and social grace. Yet, we must ask, does her presence not evoke a sense of unease? The contrast is a loaded symbol—a manifestation of our collective anxieties. Just as the figures from our nightmares resurface in art, they evolve with each retelling, each new cultural context imbuing them with fresh layers of meaning. They speak to the cyclical nature of fear and fascination that continues to haunt our collective consciousness.