ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that The Rhine accomplished the task by rescripting the ancient conflict between the Gauls and the Teutons to suggest a moral, rather than a military, victory. Gallé;lends weight to his exploration of contemporary events, raising the Franco-Prussian War to the level of an iconic, timeless conflict that unites French citizens. Gallé; carved another heraldic symbol, the cross of Lorraine, upon the chest of each alerion. The thistle is the traditional symbol of the province of Lorraine and also appears on the seal of the city of Nancy, whose motto is Non inultus premor or "No one touches me with impunity". In contrast to the historical sources, Gallé; turns toward a new vocabulary of natural forms, one that asserts the origin of French art in French "soil", as the creation of the French "race". The Rhine, focuses on Gallé's use of natural forms to convey the idea of rootedness and belonging rather than his mobilization of conventional symbolism.
