Strijd tussen twee verdoemden 1668 - 1671

This etching, by Jan de Bisschop, captures the raw intensity of conflict through the entwined figures of two damned souls. The wrestling motif, prevalent since ancient times, symbolizes not just physical struggle, but also moral and existential battles. We see echoes of this primal fight in ancient Greek sculptures of wrestling matches, where idealized forms clash in displays of strength and skill. But here, devoid of heroic virtue, this fight descends into the macabre. The figures' contorted bodies and desperate grips convey a sense of eternal torment, a reflection of the psychological anguish within. The motif of struggle reappears through history. Consider the biblical Jacob wrestling with the angel, a symbolic fight for divine blessing, or the endless battles of good and evil depicted in medieval art. It reveals itself in Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son," a symbolic representation of the destructive nature of power and time. Such images act as "engrams," deeply ingrained patterns that resonate across epochs, tapping into our collective anxieties and primal fears. Through this image, Bisschop connects to our collective memory, reminding us that the battle between opposing forces is a timeless, cyclical process.