Zwei Franziskanerheilige in Anbetung der Eucharistie c. 1690

Carlo Maratti rendered this drawing, "Two Franciscan Saints Adoring the Eucharist," with pen and brown ink in the 17th-18th century. The Eucharist, radiating light, becomes the focal point, evoking not just religious piety but the profound mystery of transubstantiation. Note the saints' raised hands. This gesture transcends mere supplication, echoing across centuries and cultures. Consider the Orans figure of early Christian art, or even the raised arms of ecstatic dancers in ancient Greece. These gestures, seemingly disparate, tap into a shared, primal yearning for connection with the divine. Here, it's intertwined with Christian theology, yet one can't help but sense an echo of something older, something deeply embedded in our collective unconscious, where the earthly and divine merge. Like the ouroboros serpent biting its tail, this gesture represents the eternal return, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings, eternally.