De aanbidding van de koperen slang c. 1514 - 1592

This print by Michiel Coxie, now held in the Rijksmuseum, captures a pivotal moment from the Book of Numbers: the plague of serpents and the remedy offered through the brazen serpent. Here, the serpent on a pole serves as the central icon. In its original context, it was a symbol of healing and divine intervention for the Israelites, yet the serpent itself carries layers of meaning far beyond this instance. Think of the serpent in ancient Greece, twined around the staff of Asclepius, god of medicine, or the ouroboros—the snake eating its own tail—a symbol of cyclical renewal and the eternal return. The serpent has journeyed through time, shedding its skin and acquiring new symbolic weight. From a symbol of chaos and temptation in the Garden of Eden to a potent emblem of healing and regeneration, it represents the human psyche's complex relationship with primal forces. Coxie’s rendering touches upon the eternal dance between destruction and salvation, deeply embedded in our collective consciousness.