Her Friends Were Eager To See The Splendors Of Her House 

Gustave Doré created this engraving, a world teeming with symbolic displays of wealth and power. The glittering chandelier and ornate vases speak to the material splendor of the home. But consider the suit of armor; it is more than mere decoration. Clutched in its gauntleted hands, a helmet evokes images of battle, strength, and the protection of one's domain. This motif of the warrior, adorned in metal, echoes through time, from classical depictions of Mars, the god of war, to Renaissance portraits of armored knights, each iteration reflecting a culture's ideals of heroism and security. We can see a deep-seated psychological need to assert dominance and protect against perceived threats. It is a primal urge, manifest here in the cold, hard steel of a bygone era. The symbols of power present here are a cyclical return to the emblems that represent the cultural memory of power.