Don Quixote 

Gustave Doré’s ink drawing depicts scenes from Cervantes’s “Don Quixote,” capturing the protagonist's idealism against a backdrop of earthly chaos. Observe Don Quixote, his rigid posture and raised hand a symbolic barrier against the violence erupting around him. This gesture, reminiscent of ancient orators or even Christ refusing temptation, speaks to a will to remain pure in the face of the mundane. Note the composition of figures fighting at the bottom, each caught in a chaotic dance—a visual representation of humanity's base instincts and the futility of petty conflict. Such scenes of disorder echo in art across epochs, from the brawls depicted in Renaissance battle scenes to modern expressions of societal unrest. Doré taps into a collective memory of conflict, rendering it with a raw emotional power that engages us on a subconscious level. This image, like many others, demonstrates how symbols resurface, adapt, and gain new significance throughout history.