De aanbidding van de koperen slang 1737 - 1785

Giovanni Battista Cipriani rendered "The Adoration of the Bronze Serpent" using pen and brown wash. Note the central image of a serpent coiled around a cross, an emblem that carries a heavy symbolic weight. In the Old Testament, God commands Moses to erect a bronze serpent on a pole, so that anyone who looks upon it will be healed. The serpent, a symbol of primal energy and earthly wisdom, when elevated, becomes an instrument of divine healing. We see echoes of this motif in ancient Greek mythology with the Rod of Asclepius, a serpent-entwined staff associated with medicine and healing. This symbol transcends cultures, resurfacing even in modern medical emblems. The serpent has undergone numerous transformations. Once a symbol of chaos and temptation, it now embodies the potential for renewal. In this image, the serpent provokes deep, subconscious layers, reminding us that symbols, like dreams, can be interpreted differently over time, evolving through cultural memory.