Massacre of the Innocents 1600 - 1700

This drawing, "Massacre of the Innocents," presents a scene of brutal infanticide. The soldiers, instruments of Herod's paranoid decree, are depicted mid-action, their faces contorted with grim purpose. But it is the mothers, their arms flailing, mouths agape in silent screams, that truly capture our attention. Consider the gesture of the raised hand, a motif that echoes through antiquity, from ancient depictions of lamentation to modern-day expressions of grief. Here, it is amplified, multiplied across the canvas, a chorus of despair. This gesture speaks to a primal, subconscious understanding of loss. The image’s power lies not just in its depiction of violence, but in its invocation of enduring human emotions. The symbol of the suffering mother, the innocent child, it resurfaces in countless contexts, each time echoing the original trauma while adapting to its new cultural landscape. The cyclical nature of history reveals how symbols of suffering, like the raised hand, continue to resonate, bearing witness to humanity's capacity for both cruelty and compassion.