Saturn Devouring his Child 1735

Giulia Lama, sometime in the 18th century, captured the myth of “Saturn Devouring His Son” on canvas, depicting an act of desperation rooted in prophecy. Here, Saturn, god of time, consumes his own children to avert being overthrown, a stark symbol of power's ruthless self-preservation. The image evokes the primal fear of being consumed by the very forces that create us, resonating across cultures. Think of similar motifs, the all-consuming hunger that reappears in Goya’s nightmarish rendition of the same myth, or the devouring monsters of folklore that reflect deep-seated anxieties about authority and the future. This act of infanticide is not merely a tale of ancient gods; it is a recurring nightmare, surfacing in our collective consciousness, reflecting humanity's ongoing struggle with mortality and the cyclical nature of power. It’s a visual echo that reminds us of the timeless dance between creation and destruction.