Houses in Flames 

Jean David’s painting, *Houses in Flames*, evokes a sense of destruction and foreboding through its stylized depiction of a town engulfed in smoke. The image pulses with meaning. The geometric houses bear mask-like faces, reminiscent of ancient totems or protective deities found across cultures from the Ancient Greeks to the Americas. Their stylized faces are impassive, and their presence juxtaposes the chaotic blaze above, creating a tension between order and destruction. One can trace this motif of anthropomorphic architecture back to the cityscapes of antiquity. The silent faces of these structures evoke collective memory of urban destruction, a potent symbol across time and cultures. This image holds a raw emotional power. The disembodied faces, combined with the overwhelming smoke, trigger a subconscious recognition of loss and upheaval. The act of destruction has forever been captured in art and will forever resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.