Hurricane (L'ouragan) 

Alphonse Legros created this etching, called 'The Hurricane', using metal plate engraving. Note the woman, bent against the wind, clinging to the sturdy tree. She embodies a posture of resilience, echoing figures in ancient tapestries where survivors grasp at ruins amidst chaos. The image calls to mind the ancient motif of the "Uprooted Tree," a symbol found across cultures, representing loss and the instability of human existence. We see it mirrored in the aftermath of battles depicted on Roman sarcophagi, or in medieval woodcuts illustrating the fall of empires. Consider how this pose evokes a primal response, a deeply ingrained instinct to seek shelter. The storm is not merely meteorological; it is a psychological tempest, mirroring the inner turmoil we all face. Like the cyclical nature of storms, such visual symbols recur throughout history. They re-emerge, transformed, yet still carrying their original emotional charge.