The Snake c. 20th century

Curator: Right, so this is Robert John Gibbings' wood engraving called "The Snake." Editor: Striking! All those angular leaves and branches...it feels like a jungle rendered in shards of glass. Curator: Gibbings was deeply influenced by his travels, and snakes often appear in his works. He was interested in ideas of nature and wilderness. Editor: Wilderness indeed. I get the sense of something primordial here, a kind of untamed Eden with a slightly sinister edge. Curator: It’s interesting how the snake, traditionally a symbol of temptation or evil, is presented almost neutrally, part of the environment. Editor: Or perhaps the environment itself is the temptation. It's all so interwoven, so deliberately composed. I find myself wanting to fall inside its world. Curator: A very Gibbings sentiment. Editor: Indeed.