Christus geneest twee bezeten mannen in het gebied van de Gerasenen 1598 - 1618

Jacques de Bie etched this scene of Christ healing two possessed men, illustrating a pivotal moment of spiritual and psychological transformation. Note the contrast between the serene Christ and the convulsing figures, their wild gestures speaking to inner turmoil. Chains bind one man, a symbol of the constraints of the psyche. In antiquity, similar bindings were used to restrain figures like Prometheus, forever chained as punishment. Here, the possessed man’s bonds symbolize a struggle against unseen forces, a theme echoed in depictions of Laocoön's battle with serpents, where physical struggle mirrors internal torment. The plunging swine evoke primal fears, perhaps embodying the chaotic impulses residing within the subconscious. This collective, uncontrolled movement into the abyss is a potent image of the destructive potential of the unbridled psyche. These symbols are not static; they shift, evolve, and resurface in different guises, echoing through our collective consciousness.