Adam en Eva verleid door de slang 1691

Nicolas Bocquet produced this engraving, "Adam and Eve Tempted by the Serpent," at an undetermined time, and it portrays a pivotal moment from the Book of Genesis. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of its time, likely somewhere in Europe. The idealized human forms are reminiscent of classical sculpture, a common reference in European art. The serpent, entwined around the tree, takes on the form of a childlike woman. This is a significant cultural reference, challenging the traditional Christian interpretation of the serpent as purely evil. It presents a complex view of temptation and perhaps even a critique of patriarchal religious structures. To understand Bocquet's choices fully, we would need to investigate the religious and social climate in which he worked, through institutional records and other historical documents. The interpretation of this artwork is contingent on its cultural and institutional context.