Material Girl 

Sarah Joncas painted this enigmatic portrait of a woman, sometime around 2017. The pearls, the elaborate hairstyle, and the snake around her shoulders invite us to explore the symbolic weight carried within this image. The snake, an ancient symbol, appears here in ghostly white. From the serpent in the Garden of Eden to the snake entwined around the caduceus, its cultural significance is boundless. Consider its presence in ancient Greek mythology, where it is associated with healing and medicine, embodying renewal and transformation. But note the contrast with the Christian tradition, where it is more nefarious. Here, it seems to whisper temptations of vanity and earthly pleasures, echoing the themes of materialism suggested by the title. The pearls, historically symbols of wealth and purity, add another layer, creating tension between the woman’s opulent adornments and the viewer’s perception. This interplay captures our subconscious anxieties, revealing how symbols of beauty and status are enduring yet ever-shifting in their meaning.