Gonzalo Gomez blinkt uit in het spel en doña Lambra beledigt Lara en haar zonen 1612

Antonio Tempesta created this engraving, "Gonzalo Gomez blinkt uit in het spel en doña Lambra beledigt Lara en haar zonen," during the late 16th or early 17th century. Here, we see Lady Lambra, consumed by envy, as she orchestrates discord, a literal manifestation of the serpent of discord, which looms over her, hissing its venomous suggestions. Notice how this serpent-headed figure recalls Medusa, whose gaze turned men to stone, a fitting symbol for the destructive power of envy and slander. This motif of the serpent, an ancient symbol of chaos and deception, has slithered through art history. From the Garden of Eden to classical mythology, it represents temptation and the darker aspects of human nature. Consider how the emotional charge of such images stems from a primal fear and fascination, a collective memory of transgression and its consequences. It is through this shared symbolic language that art engages us on a subconscious level. Note how, through time, symbols resurface, their essence unchanged but their meaning shifting with each retelling.