Aanbidding van de Koperen Slang 1500 - 1600

Editor: Here we have Hans Holbein the Younger's "The Adoration of the Copper Serpent," a pencil drawing likely from the 16th century. The composition, packed with figures all looking towards a central symbol, feels intensely dramatic, even a little chaotic. What initially stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, chaos and drama perfectly capture it. Holbein's managed to condense such a layered narrative into a relatively small space. What I see here is the very human act of turning to symbols and stories in times of crisis. Look how the figures contort themselves, both physically and emotionally, around this copper serpent. Some are prostrate with illness, others reaching out in desperation. It makes me think of our own reliance on… well, narratives really, be they religious, political, or even just personal stories. Don't you think that the power of symbolic imagery here invites one to think deeper about how faith heals us? Editor: That's a compelling way to think about it – a story for healing. It makes you wonder, though, does it really heal or does it offer only an illusion? And is Holbein celebrating that offering or questioning it? Curator: Precisely! Holbein leaves space for both belief and doubt. Notice the varying degrees of engagement among the figures. There's such diversity, I’d wager it mirrors his own relationship with the narrative: reverent but keenly analytical, leaving interpretation in the hands (or eyes!) of the viewer. Editor: That's an amazing way of putting it. I think I am also drawn to the power that it may contain. Curator: It is truly great when the artwork is alive! Thanks for unpacking all this with me today, these stories need each and every one of us.