Mars bedwingt een vrouw met toorts 1753 - 1806

This print by Bénédict Alphonse Nicolet captures Mars, the god of war, triumphing over a woman holding a torch. The torch is not merely a source of light, it is a symbol of discord, chaos, and destruction, linking her to the darker aspects of human conflict. The imagery of a warrior subduing a female figure echoes through history, from ancient Greek depictions of Heracles battling Amazons to more modern allegories of reason overcoming passion. Think of how the cross has been used to represent peace in one context but, when held aloft by crusaders, became a symbol of violent conquest. Here, the suppression of the torchbearer by Mars speaks to a desire for order over chaos. Yet, we must ask: what is the cost of such order? Is it truly peace or merely the silencing of dissent? This eternal struggle between order and chaos, creation and destruction, continues to engage our collective subconscious.