Aanbidding van het gouden kalf 1607

Giovanni Lanfranco etched this work, "Adoration of the Golden Calf," capturing a pivotal moment of idolatry. In the foreground, the Israelites are reveling around a golden calf, a false idol they created during Moses’ absence. This symbol represents a lapse in faith, a primal urge to replace the abstract with the tangible. The act of worship, with raised arms and kneeling figures, is a motif that reappears across cultures. We see it in ancient Egyptian sun worship, and in later Christian art, where similar gestures express devotion to a higher power. Yet here, it’s subverted, directed towards a fabricated deity. The calf itself is a potent symbol. The idol contrasts sharply with the divine commandments delivered by Moses. This scene reminds us how easily societies can fall into collective delusions, driven by immediate desires rather than enduring values. It’s a stark reminder of the human inclination towards tangible symbols, and the seductive power of the immediate, even when it contradicts deeper truths.