Other journeys - The faun

The visit to Munich´s Glyptothek is one of the fondest memories from my first trip to that city. Many beautiful things from home are kept there, especially sculptures, a constant reminder of the german fascination with hellenic antiquity. The Glyptothek is rather small and it was very quiet on the day I visited, I had it almost all to myself. It felt cosy and it was exciting and touching seeing so much of 'our stuff' there.

The most special of those encounters, though, was with Barberini´s Faun, probably my favourite hellenistic statue. I was left completely in awe when I had first studied it. It´s the details on his marble body, his position, the expression on his face. It makes you feel you can hear his heavy, tired breathing (those satyrs/fauns being always very 'active'), you can see his muscles moving. At the same time he looks strong and vulnerable.

What´s to be vulnerable? It´s to be 'susceptible to being wounded or hurt', it´s to be 'open to moral attack, criticism, temptation'. It feels human and acceptable when we see it in others. Completely pathetic when it concerns us.