Flight and Pursuit

In the labyrinth of a fantastic Near Eastern temple or palace, a man races forward, led by his shadow and followed by looming darkness. A ghostly figure runs alongside in a parallel hallway, glancing outward. This enigmatic painting has been interpreted as a man fleeing his conscience, as an illustration of a biblical episode in which King David sent executioners after conspirators plotting to steal his throne, and as an allegory of the capture of John Surratt, a Confederate spy accused of planning Lincoln's assassination.