David with the Head of Goliath c. 1720s

Curator: Hmm, David and Goliath, it seems. But not as we're used to seeing them, eh? Editor: Not quite, is it? A bit unsettling, actually. All that swirling linework makes it feel… unstable. As though the whole scene might dissolve any second. And that disembodied head – quite heavy-looking, despite the delicacy of the print. Curator: This is Paul Troger's "David with the Head of Goliath", likely from the 1720s. It's a print, so the immediacy is tempered. Troger, an Austrian painter of the Baroque period, gives us a more intimate view of this famous biblical scene. More psychological, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely. David looks almost melancholy, distant. He’s not triumphant; he looks lost in thought. And Goliath, well, he’s certainly out for the count, but not horrific, somehow peaceful even in death. It feels like the moments *after* the spectacle, which is very rare to depict. Almost like he’s burdened by what he's done. A post-battle fatigue setting in, very human. Curator: Interesting perspective. The Baroque often leans into the drama, the overt display of power. Here, though, Troger pulls back. He’s less interested in the "victory" itself and more in the interior landscape, as you pointed out. Look at the hatching; the frenetic lines almost vibrate with a kind of quiet tension. There is also a weird almost erotic energy too? Goliath’s head pressed closely to David… a twisted, dark and somewhat queer Pietà! Editor: I hadn’t thought of that, but I can see it. Troger’s taking a common trope and muddying it in complexity and dark desire. Makes the questions about justice, faith, and violence all the more thorny. We like our heroes clean cut, after all. The sketch-like quality also invites speculation; it looks like an idea still in formation, or like a shadow version of history being proposed… Curator: Yes, the immediacy of the medium and its raw feel gives the piece such an air of unease and that invites a kind of emotional vulnerability which seems radical. Well, thanks for the insightful comments! It makes one look at a familiar theme through totally fresh eyes! Editor: Indeed. I appreciate the chance to wander around the nuances of morality!