Trench guard, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome 1853

Auguste Raffet created this lithograph of a trench guard during the Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome. Here, we see soldiers in repose, their bodies sprawled and intertwined with the earth. The fallen flagstaff, a powerful symbol, evokes images of sacrifice and defeat, but it also alludes to the cyclical nature of history. The image of the fallen standard appears throughout the ages, from Roman battle reliefs to Renaissance tapestries. The fatigue etched on their faces transcends mere physical exhaustion; it speaks to a deeper psychological toll of warfare. Think back to the ancient Greek concept of "nostos," the yearning for home, and the "algos," the pain and suffering of war. This work captures that tension. The print embodies the enduring human experience of conflict, a reminder of how deeply these images resonate within our collective memory. These motifs resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, constantly cycling through history.