Vier figuren, van wie een in een vaas c. 1870 - 1894

Gustave Joseph Chéret sketched these four figures, one curiously encased in a vase. The vase, often a symbol of containment, here takes on a strange, almost grotesque quality, evoking the ancient Greek myth of Dionysus, born from Zeus's thigh, contained and reborn. Consider the vase's appearance throughout art history, from funerary urns to decorative objects; it is a vessel, a womb, a tomb. The figure inside, adorned with a flower, blends fragility with confinement, prompting questions about the individual's freedom versus imprisonment within societal norms. This visual echoes through time, resurfacing in surrealist works where the body is fragmented, reshaped, and constrained, reflecting our collective anxieties about identity, control, and the subconscious forces that shape our perception. The vase is not just a container; it is a mirror reflecting our innermost fears and desires.