Eva en de slang 1890 - 1933

Curator: Welcome. Before us is a drawing entitled “Eva en de slang,” which translates to "Eve and the Serpent" created by Wolbartus Brouwer, sometime between 1890 and 1933. Editor: The stark, almost unsettling nature of this image strikes me immediately. The simplified form and monochrome palette, in terms of semiotics, seem to represent something basic and stark, and perhaps primordial. Curator: Brouwer seems to be engaging in a conversation about faith and the role of women and knowledge within religious ideology. Editor: Do you see any sort of symbolism between this and the social-political period, what statement about women do you think Brouwer is expressing with Eve taking the forbidden fruit in the piece? Or what is it that makes you consider the ideologies expressed here as ‘religious?’ The snake to me is simply wisdom. Curator: Eve's positioning, with her back turned and reaching upward, is inherently active; she is taking from what is being offered. I also notice how light creates texture and volume in certain areas and a sense of foreboding that the author intended for Eve’s expression. Editor: If this piece had circulated widely at the time, it would have no doubt engaged an ongoing discourse. How it represents transgression is interesting. As such a significant narrative throughout our modern day social, artistic, and political movements, “Eva en de slang” is a depiction that represents female agency and transgression within a patriarchal society. Curator: True, her transgression, as a disruption of societal roles that reflects historical changes regarding gender and its representations is one way to approach the message of the artwork. Overall, I find Brouwer’s engagement with such foundational religious texts both inspiring and incredibly profound. Editor: The historical and ideological significance makes Brouwer's piece quite resonant. It’s certainly given me a great deal to consider!