Seven Chiefs Against Thebes n.d.

John Flaxman rendered this stark drawing, "Seven Chiefs Against Thebes," with pencil. It shows a procession of figures, dominated by the imagery of grief and struggle. Notice the women on the left, their gestures of lamentation—hands clasped, heads bowed—echo ancient mourning rituals. This echoes back to the classical world, where such gestures were codified expressions of sorrow, signaling deep emotional distress. Observe how the burden of carrying the dead resembles that of the Crucifixion, where suffering and sacrifice intertwine. The weight borne by these men is not merely physical; it is the weight of history, of fate, and of human frailty. It taps into a primal, subconscious recognition of mortality and communal grief. These motifs aren't linear. They cyclically resurface, evolving, and acquiring new meanings. We see a powerful emotional narrative connecting past and present, engaging viewers on a profound, often subconscious level.