Alexander de Grote offert witte stieren aan Jupiter c. 1655 - 1665

Leonaert Bramer rendered this drawing of Alexander the Great offering white bulls to Jupiter with pen in grey-brown ink, and brush in grey, in the 17th century. Dominating this scene of ancient piety are the sacrificial bulls, adorned with garlands, led towards the altar of Jupiter. The act of sacrifice, deeply rooted in human history, transcends mere offerings. It speaks to a primal urge to appease the divine, forging a connection between the earthly and the celestial. This echoes in ancient Minoan culture, where bull leaping served as a sacred ritual, and reverberates through the bloody sacrifices of the Aztecs, each bearing witness to humanity's enduring quest for spiritual communion. Consider the garlanded bull. This motif, symbolizing potency and fertility, appears not only in classical antiquity but also resurfaces in the Minoan frescoes, where bulls are depicted in scenes of ritualistic games. This recurring symbol underscores the cyclical nature of cultural memory, with images and their associated meanings constantly resurfacing, evolving, and adapting. The power of images lies in their ability to tap into our collective subconscious, eliciting emotions that transcend temporal boundaries.