Romanian river crossing 

Dora Hitz sketched this Romanian river crossing, a scene teeming with life and primordial struggle. Notice the powerful water buffalo pulling a cart laden with people; this very act of crossing symbolizes transition, a motif echoed throughout art history, evoking both peril and hope. Consider the ancient Egyptians, who saw the sun god Ra traverse the heavens daily, a cosmic river voyage mirroring life's journey from birth to death. Or the River Styx in Greek mythology, the crossing to the underworld, a final and irrevocable passage. Here, the figures' gestures, their arms raised and bodies strained, capture a visceral emotional state—a collective anxiety tempered with the will to survive. This primal scene resonates with our deepest fears and aspirations. The river, a boundary, a challenge; the group, a symbol of shared destiny. It is a scene that remains perpetually relevant.