De drie verwenschte prinsen / Le 3 princes maudits 1833 - 1911

This color lithograph titled "The Three Cursed Princes," was created by Brepols & Dierckx. It depicts a fairy tale, brimming with images of medieval folklore. Note the recurrence of dragons, castles, and valiant princes. The dragon, a symbol of chaos and the unknown, appears in various forms throughout history, from ancient Near Eastern depictions of monstrous beasts guarding sacred spaces to its later adaptation as a symbol of evil in Christian iconography. Here, the prince's triumph over the dragon becomes a potent symbol of overcoming primordial fears. The castle, an emblem of safety, power, and confinement, recurs, reminding us of the psychological tension between security and imprisonment. Medieval tales channel the fears of a world populated by beasts and marked by a rigid social order. Images like these endure, echoing in our collective psyche and reminding us of our primal urges.