Jupiter in een medaillon 1900 - 1903

Antoon Derkinderen rendered this sketch, "Jupiter in een medaillon," using graphite on paper. The central figure is Jupiter, marked by his symbolic attribute, the thunderbolt – here, a jagged arrow clutched firmly in his hand. This thunderbolt, a symbol of power and divine judgment, echoes across millennia, doesn't it? We see it in ancient Greek depictions of Zeus, and even earlier in Mesopotamian art, where gods brandish lightning to assert dominance. It speaks to a primal human understanding of power as something sudden, uncontrollable, and devastating. Consider how this potent symbol has been adopted and adapted; from the scepter of kings to the lightning bolts of modern military insignia. A collective memory, passed down and reinterpreted, revealing our enduring fascination with authority, strength, and the sublime terror of natural forces. The image engages our subconscious, resonating with deeply ingrained notions of command and fear.