De droom van den luiaard 1876 - 1892

This colorful lithograph, "The Dream of the Lazy One" by G. Lhuer presents a series of scenes depicting a child's confrontation with the consequences of laziness. The most striking motif here is the donkey, laden with burdens, which appears in the child's dream. Throughout history, the donkey has been a complex symbol; often associated with humility and service, yet also stubbornness and foolishness. In this dreamscape, the donkeys grow larger, threatening the boy. This transformation evokes a primal fear, illustrating the subconscious anxieties associated with shirking responsibility. We see this fear echoed in folklore across cultures, where animals embody hidden aspects of the human psyche, often surfacing in dreams to deliver moral lessons. The lithograph thus captures the power of images to tap into our deepest fears and aspirations, reflecting how symbols continually evolve, carrying the weight of cultural memory and psychological truth.