Den døde hund. Nr. 2 i Chr. Winther og M. Rørbye, "25 Billeder for små børn" 1846

This lithograph, made by Adolph Kittendorff, is part of a series of images designed for young children. Here we observe a dead dog. It lies prone and lifeless, while a man stands nearby, head bowed in sorrow, a walking stick his only companion. The dog is one of humanity's oldest companions, a symbol of loyalty and fidelity. Here, its death elicits a profound sense of loss, tapping into a primal fear of mortality. Death, ever-present, finds its echo in countless works across time. Consider the ancient Egyptian depictions of Anubis, the jackal-headed god guiding souls to the afterlife, or the ever-watchful Cerberus, guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology. These figures reflect humanity’s perpetual attempt to understand death. The grief mirrored in the man’s posture is a reflection of this deeply-felt loss, reminding us that death's sting is a universal experience. This cyclical return of symbols touches something profound in the human psyche.