Hercules en Scipio geleid door Minerva op het pad der deugd c. 1591

Bartholomeus Spranger rendered this drawing, "Hercules and Scipio Led by Minerva on the Path of Virtue," with pen and brown ink. Here, the figures of Hercules and Scipio, symbols of strength and Roman virtue, are guided by Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, towards a path marked by classical architecture, emblems of high moral ground. The image stirs in us the ancient motif of the 'fork in the road,' a metaphor for life's ethical dilemmas that stretches back to Prodicus' fable of Hercules. In it, Hercules must choose between Vice and Virtue. This choice is depicted countless times, from ancient pottery to Renaissance paintings. The figures of Hercules and Scipio, caught between earthly temptations and divine guidance, echo our own internal conflicts. The emotional intensity of these figures, caught in a moment of critical decision, engages us on a subconscious level, reminding us of the continuous negotiation between impulse and intellect that defines the human experience. These symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.