Auf einem Stuhl sitzender, schlafender Russe 

Wilhelm Amandus Beer made this drawing of a seated, sleeping Russian sometime in the 19th century. The figure's relaxed posture and closed eyes immediately suggest a state of rest, a universal human experience that is also a powerful symbol. Consider how sleep, as a motif, appears in ancient myths and religious art, often representing a state of vulnerability or transition, such as the sleep of Endymion watched over by Selene. The theme of sleep has continually resurfaced, evolving from religious allegories to secular interpretations, where it embodies introspection and the subconscious. The act of sleeping, seemingly passive, engages deep psychological forces. It allows for a release from the conscious world and a descent into the realm of dreams, a space laden with personal and collective symbols. In this drawing, the simple depiction of a sleeping man invites us to reflect on our own subconscious states and the shared human need for rest and escape.