Michaël en de duivel 1525 - 1565

Nicolas Beatrizet etched this print of Michael and the Devil in the 16th century. Dominating the scene, the archangel Michael wields his spear, poised to strike the serpentine devil beneath him. This imagery, deeply rooted in Christian iconography, symbolizes the eternal battle between good and evil, a theme that transcends cultures and epochs. The motif of the triumphant hero subduing a monstrous adversary is ancient. We see echoes of it in Mesopotamian art, where gods vanquish chaos monsters. The dragon, often representing primal fear and the unknown, has slithered through human imagination for millennia. Consider the dragon's evolution: from a symbol of chaos in ancient Near East to a powerful, benevolent emblem in Eastern cultures. These shifts reflect our collective subconscious, a continuous negotiation with primal anxieties. The eternal struggle is a recurring dream—an archetypal drama—reshaped by each culture's unique anxieties and aspirations.