The Wounded Eagle 

Rosa Bonheur captured this eagle, wounded, in an oil painting. Observe how the proud, majestic eagle, a symbol of power and freedom since antiquity, is here rendered vulnerable. This potent image elicits a deep, subconscious response within us. Think of the Roman Empire, where the eagle on standards represented military might, or even Zeus transforming into an eagle to carry Ganymede to Olympus, illustrating divine power. Now, see how Bonheur transforms this symbol. The wounded claw and labored flight evoke pathos, compelling us to reconsider the cost of power. The eagle, no longer soaring unchallenged, mirrors perhaps the challenges and vulnerabilities inherent in human ambition and freedom. This is not a linear progression, but a continuous cycle of meaning—the wounded eagle, an enduring symbol, forever caught between triumph and tragedy, its meaning reconfigured by each generation.