Oprichting van de koperen slang 1579 - 1643

Curator: Looking at this print, "The Raising of the Copper Serpent", made between 1579 and 1643 and attributed to Johann Sadeler I, the first thing I notice is the dense composition and swirling energy. It’s quite striking. Editor: Yes, the figures are so interwoven, and rendered meticulously. I'm thinking about the material process of its making. It's an engraving, after all, which demands careful control over the metal plate. We see the skilled labor that went into its production through the precise incisions, how this relates to workshop practices of the time, and printmaking’s place in image distribution. Curator: Precisely. And let’s consider its visual politics: the piece illustrates a biblical episode, right? Moses erecting a bronze serpent to heal the Israelites from snakebites. The print makes that divine intervention accessible to a wider audience at a time when religious imagery had significant power and, in some contexts, was contested ground. Editor: Good point. I am very intrigued by that coiled copper snake. Look at the way it spirals upwards – it acts almost as a kind of fetish object but also as a channel for a transfer of material agency: a mediation for this kind of promised salvation through that raw metal. The body as a material agent is at work also; they are bitten, sick, then healed—so interesting. Curator: Absolutely. The physical forms of suffering are really present – some writhe, others are supported by companions and gaze desperately. Consider how the politics of imagery influences interpretation, especially during periods of intense religious change; its impact, use, and dissemination are important factors of the cultural environment. Editor: This act of observing the statue to receive healing is powerful—an artistic expression exploring not just narrative, but this connection through materials that might otherwise cause harm, and through human will or belief can be the vessel for miraculous salvation. Curator: So true. It all reinforces how profoundly religion and art became intertwined historically. "The Raising of the Copper Serpent," through the circulation of these prints, solidifies that interconnection by displaying complex social-political tensions that can affect people. Editor: By analyzing that intricate method used in engraving alongside social messaging, it provides more insight into societal issues. Curator: What this artwork represents, it allows a broader and further social interpretation.