Travelling sappers, from Souvenirs d’Italie: Expédition de Rome 1853

Auguste Raffet rendered this print of travelling sappers as a souvenir of the Italian expedition. Notice the tools of destruction they carry, pickaxes and shovels, set against the backdrop of war. These tools, agents of both construction and destruction, echo motifs found in ancient mythologies. Think of the hammer of Thor, capable of building and smashing worlds, or the Egyptian adze used in both shipbuilding and the opening of the mouth ceremony, enabling the dead to speak. These implements, like the sappers’ tools, carry dual potential. The image stirs deep within us, evoking the cyclical nature of creation and devastation. This duality is not merely a historical artifact; it is an emotional force that speaks to our shared human experience, the recurring motif of destruction and renewal throughout history.