Slanghagedis en wormhagedis 1764 - 1784

This delicate image of a lizard and worm lizard was rendered by Simon Fokke, sometime in the 18th century. Serpents, like the ones Fokke presents here, have long coiled through the human psyche. In ancient cultures, these limbless reptiles often symbolized primordial chaos, regeneration, or even healing, as seen in the caduceus. Yet, within the Abrahamic traditions, the serpent embodies temptation and the fall from grace, a motif chillingly echoed in artistic depictions from the Garden of Eden. Consider how these symbols, charged with such potent, contradictory meanings, resurface in art across time and space. A serpent devouring its own tail, the Ouroboros, might suggest the cyclical nature of existence or the alchemical process of transformation. The image of the snake, whether in its life-giving or destructive form, engages our subconscious. It taps into primal fears and desires, reminding us of the fine line between knowledge and ruin, a theme that continues to fascinate and terrify.