Jacob wrestling the Angel 

Luca Giordano, sometime in the 17th century, painted with oils on canvas this depiction of Jacob wrestling an angel. Here, we witness not brute struggle, but rather a tender embrace; the angel's wings and Jacob's strained face hinting at a concealed power dynamic. Consider the motif of the embrace, a recurring image throughout art history. From ancient fertility figures locked in symbolic union, to Klimt’s lovers intertwined in a golden rapture, the embrace speaks to something primal within us. It signifies connection, conflict, and the blurring of boundaries. Here, the embrace between Jacob and the angel transcends a mere physical act. It echoes in the Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child— a profound moment of contact loaded with emotional intensity. Is it then so far-fetched to view it as a symbol of inner conflict, and of wrestling with fate? This motif of struggle and embrace cycles through time, resurfacing in new forms.