Man Struggling with a Boa Constrictor, Study for ‘The Liboya Serpent Seizing His Prey’ c. 1803

James Ward captured this oil study of a man’s desperate fight with a boa constrictor. The image, though specific, touches on universal themes of struggle and mortality. Consider the serpent itself. Since ancient times, across cultures, the snake has embodied both healing and destruction. Think of the caduceus, entwined snakes symbolizing medicine, or the ouroboros, a snake eating its tail, signifying cyclical existence and the eternal return. Yet, here, the serpent is a force of immediate peril, evoking primal fears of being consumed, of losing control. The open mouth of the man, a silent scream, resonates with the Laocoön, forever struggling against the serpents of fate. The writhing body, a motif repeated throughout art history, is not merely physical, but a manifestation of the inner turmoil, a battle against overwhelming forces. These symbols speak to a collective memory, a shared understanding of the precariousness of life, where triumph and tragedy are intertwined.