Klein Duimpje 1893 - 1894

This lithograph, created by Imagerie d'Epinal - Pellerin, illustrates the tale of Little Tom Thumb through a series of vignettes. We see recurring motifs of abandonment, hunger, and peril, with the forest serving as a dark, primeval stage. The image of the ogre stands out, a figure of monstrous appetite and uncontrolled rage. He echoes the ancient archetype of the wild man, a symbol found across cultures, representing the untamed aspects of human nature. Consider Goya’s Saturn devouring his son, a similarly visceral depiction of destructive power. Both images tap into a primal fear of being consumed, both physically and psychologically. This fear, deeply embedded in our collective unconscious, surfaces time and again in art. Through this image, we witness the cyclical return of archetypes, a testament to the enduring power of human emotions across time. The dark forest, the monstrous ogre—they are not merely elements of a fairy tale, but reflections of our own inner landscapes.