The Massacre of The Innocents | François Joseph Navez | 1824 15th Century Sydney Laurence captures the aurora

Sydney Laurence captures the aurora borealis as a sweeping arc of luminous green and blue light suspended over a snowbound northern landscape

casting a serene

Doré captures vulnerability

Other motifs favoured by Schikaneder were autumn and winter

injecting a sense of eerie innocence

The Massacre of The Innocents | François Joseph Navez | 1824 15th Century Sydney Laurence captures the auroraThis neoclassical painting depicts a deeply emotional moment during the biblical Massacre of the Innocents, where King Herod ordered the killing of male infants. At the center, a grieving mother cradles her lifeless child, her face etched with despair, while another woman tries to comfort her. In the background, a frightened woman shields a child, symbolizing the terror and brutality of the event. The composition emphasizes maternal anguish and human