Ceres verandert Lyncus in een lynx 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole etched this image, "Ceres verandert Lyncus in een lynx," capturing a dramatic moment from Ovid's Metamorphoses. We see Ceres, identifiable as the goddess of agriculture, mid-air on a cloud with a dagger, ready to transform the sleeping King Lyncus into a lynx. The image pulses with the theme of transformation, a motif rippling throughout art history. Think of the tale of Actaeon, changed into a stag, or even the Christian transfiguration of Christ – these stories echo a deep-seated human fascination with the fluidity of form and identity. The dagger in Ceres' hand is particularly striking. It’s a tool of change, of violent alteration. But it also becomes a symbol of divine power, reminiscent of the tools wielded by vengeful gods throughout cultures. Remember the Furies of Greek tragedy or the unforgiving deities of ancient Egypt. They all embody this capacity for wrathful justice. The lynx, a creature of keen sight and wild nature, represents the transformed Lyncus – a fitting end for a king punished for impiety. This image, like so many others, engages our subconscious with its primal themes. It’s a potent reminder of the cyclical nature of human stories, forever resurfacing in new guises.