Un terrible cauchemar c. 19th century

Here is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "Un terrible cauchemar." Observe the sleeper, crushed by the weight of tiny military figures. In the symbolism of nightmares, this represents the sleeper's anxieties, manifested as oppressive forces. These figures, though small, evoke powerful emotions of dread and helplessness. This motif—the sleeper tormented by visions—resonates across centuries. We might recall Fuseli's "The Nightmare," where a demonic incubus mirrors this sense of being burdened by unseen, psychological weights. The nightmare, as a symbol, is a persistent echo in the collective unconscious, a space where personal fears converge with cultural anxieties. This lithograph captures the recurring human experience of being overwhelmed by internal struggles, anxieties which, like ancient spirits, reappear, shape-shifting through time, yet always embodying our deepest fears.