Tapijt met de verzoeking door satan, opwekking Lazarus en prefiguraties in een kerk te La Chaise-Dieu c. 1868 - 1873

This drawing by Hippolyte Malègue captures scenes from a tapestry, illustrating both the temptation of Christ by Satan and the raising of Lazarus. These subjects are rich with symbolism, reflecting humanity’s eternal struggle between good and evil, despair and hope. The figure of Lazarus, brought back from the dead, resonates deeply with ancient resurrection myths—think of Osiris or Mithras. This motif speaks to our primal longing to overcome death, echoing through cultures in various forms. The gesture of raising a hand, seen in the depiction of Lazarus, appears throughout art history. Consider its presence in classical depictions of emperors or deities, each time signifying power, divine intervention, or renewal. Such gestures tap into the collective unconscious, evoking intense emotions and connecting viewers across millennia. This emotional power, embedded in symbolic representations, ensures these images persist, constantly evolving yet fundamentally unchanged.