Kop van een stier 1851

Jacobus Cornelis Gaal etched this "Head of a Bull" in the nineteenth century, capturing a powerful symbol across millennia. The bull, an emblem of virility, strength, and untamed nature, roots itself deeply in the human psyche. We see the bull’s echoes from the ancient frescoes of Knossos to the myth of Europa and the Minotaur, each telling tales of potency and sacrifice. Consider the Golden Calf—an idol born from the human longing for tangible power. The bull's horns, a crescent of primal energy, reappear in the headdresses of deities and the helmets of warriors, each borrowing from its formidable presence. This image is more than a mere depiction; it is a vessel carrying the weight of ages, an embodiment of instinct and energy that still resonates within us. As such, it reminds us that the images we create and contemplate are never truly new but are re-emergent forms of the eternal drama played out on the stage of human consciousness.