Alexander Iwanowitsch Ostermann-Tolstoi 1825

George Dawe painted this portrait of Alexander Iwanowitsch Ostermann-Tolstoi in 1822 using oil on canvas. The prominent white cross, likely the Order of Saint George, speaks of valor and service, a visual shorthand for the sitter's distinguished military career. Consider the cross—a symbol predating Christianity, yet adopted and adapted. We see echoes of it in ancient sun wheels and, later, in the Crusader emblems. Its enduring presence across cultures suggests a deep-seated human impulse to symbolize sacrifice, honor, and spiritual devotion. In a Freudian sense, such symbols tap into our collective unconscious. The cross, whether adorning a warrior or a religious icon, becomes a powerful signifier, its emotional resonance less about conscious recognition and more about stirring ancestral memories and archetypal associations. This symbol resurfaces and evolves, constantly imbued with new meaning, yet tethered to its primal origins.