Study for head of Perseus in the rock of doom 

Edward Burne-Jones captured this face in pencil as a study for his larger cycle on the myth of Perseus. The classical features, framed by a tumble of curly hair, echo antique sculptures of ideal masculine beauty, an aesthetic formula that stretches back millennia, reappearing in Roman portraiture and Renaissance depictions of youthful heroes. But look closer, and you'll notice the slightly downcast eyes, the gentle set of the mouth—an expression more akin to melancholy contemplation than heroic resolve. This turn inward softens the classical ideal, evoking a psychological depth that resonates across time. It's a timeless gesture of human vulnerability, a fleeting emotion that connects Burne-Jones’ Perseus to figures in countless works where the weight of fate is borne by the human spirit. This quiet emotion is a human constant, it seems, always resurfacing, waiting to be reborn.