Stier staand, naar rechts 1798 - 1837

This etching by Ernst Willem Jan Bagelaar presents a bull standing in profile. Consider the enduring potency of the bull as a symbol. In ancient Minoan culture, bull-leaping rituals speak to a primal dance between humanity and raw animal power. We find echoes of this reverence in the myth of the Minotaur, a chilling hybrid that lurks in the labyrinth of our collective unconscious. Remember the Golden Calf? In religious texts, it represents the dangers of idolatry, a stark warning against the allure of false gods. Even in the modern arena, the charging bull embodies Wall Street's untamed energy, a symbol of aggressive financial ambition. Bagelaar's rendering, though seemingly simple, taps into this deep well of cultural memory. It is the power of the image, which engages us on a subconscious level, revealing how symbols evolve, resurface, and acquire new layers of meaning across time.