Serpent Collection (page 62)

The Angel Binding Satan, Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, 1740-1812, French

Statue of Buddha meditating with his weight supported by the coils of a naga (snake) with a flared hood to shield him from above

MEXICO: AZTEC DRAWING. Scenes from an Aztec codex fragment, 16th century

AZTEC PRIESTS, c1325. Led by their god, Huitzilopochtli, Aztec priests discover the spot where an eagle, devouring a serpent, sits atop a cactus and there decide to found Tenochtitlan

MEXICAN COAT OF ARMS. 19th century Mexican seal

FOUNDING OF TENOCHTITLAN. Legendary founding of Tenochtitlan by Aztecs. Aztec miniature from Codex Aubin, 1576

KRISHNA SUBDUING SNAKE. Krishna subduing the snake demon, Kaliya, by the river Jumna. From the Bhagavata Purana, Garwhal School, India, 1785

HINDUISM: BIRTH OF BRAHMA. The birth of Brahma, the Creator God, from the navel of Vishnu. Line engraving

SHIVA. The Hindu god Shiva blasting Kama, god of love, with fire from his third eye. Kalighat painting, c1885

INITIAL A : SAINT GREGORY. Initial A with Saint Gregory (Pope Gregory I). Manuscript illumination from an Austrian missal, c1260

HELL: SEVEN DEADLY SINS. The Slothful are thrown into snakepits as infernal punishment for one of the Seven Deadly Sins. French woodcut, 1496

ADAM & EVE. The Tree of Knowledge. Woodcut from Meydenbachs Ortus Sanitatis, Mainz, Germany, 1491

VIRTUES: PRUDENCE c1470. Allegory of Prudence. Oil on panel by Piero and Antonio Pollaiuolo, c1469-70

WHEEL OF FORTUNE. An astrological representation of the Wheel of Fortune, depicting Mars in the highest position, but with the sun, Venus, and Mercury on the rise. German woodcut, 1490

Japanese Zodiac Signs

HYDRA, CRATER AND CORVUS. Figurations of the constellations Hydra, Crater and Corvus. Woodcut from Gaius Julius Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon, Venice, Italy, 1482

CONSTELLATION: OPHIUCHUS. Personification of Ophiuchus (Serpentarius). Woodcut from Gaius Julius Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon, Venice, Italy, 1482

CONSTELLATION: HERCULES. Personification of Hercules. Woodcut from Gaius Julius Hyginus Poeticon Astronomicon, Venice, Italy, 1482

WORLD WAR I: CARTOON, 1915. The Gas Fiend. Cartoon, 1915, by Louis Raemaekers

GILBERT: DE MAGNETE, 1600. Title-page of the first edition of William Gilberts De Magnete, London, 1600. The first great scientific work published in England

AGRICOLAs TREATISE, 1556. Title-page of the first edition of Georgius Agricola s
AGRICOLAs TREATISE, 1556. Title-page of the first edition of Georgius Agricolas treatise on mining and metallurgy, De Re Metallica, 1556

AGRICOLA: TITLE-PAGE, 1546. Title-page of the first edition of Georgius Agricola s
AGRICOLA: TITLE-PAGE, 1546. Title-page of the first edition of Georgius Agricolas De Ortu et Causius Subterraneorum, the first handbook of modern systematic mineralogy. Basel, 1546

MARY ANNE CLARKE (1776-1852). English courtier. Pandora Opening Her Box. Cartoon, 1809, by James Gillray lampooning Mrs. Clarkes appearance before the House of Commons on charges of conniving with

BRAZEN SERPENT. Israelites bitten by fiery serpents are saved when they look upon the brazen image of a serpent, set up on a pole by Moses (Numbers 21: 6-9). Woodcut from the Cologne Bible, 1478-80

aRONs STAFF TRANSFORMS. Aarons staff becomes a serpent, which swallows the other serpents created by Eqyptian magicians, while Moses (right) turns the waters into blood. (Exodus 7: 8-25)

WITCHES, 1508. Witches brewing up a storm. German woodcut, 1508

SERPENT, 16th CENTURY. The water serpent of the Nile, Hydrus, swallowing a flying snake. Woodcut from a 12th century bestiary manuscript

SEA MONSTERS, 1544. Woodcut from Sebastian Munsters Cosmographiae Universalis, Basle, Switzerland, 1544, depicting the monsters believed to dwell in the seas west and south of Europe

AMPHISBAENA. Mythological two-headed serpent, as portrayed in a 12th century bestiary. Woodcut after a manuscript illumination

SEA MONSTERS, 1516. Sea serpent and dolphin from an edition of Pliny the Elder s
SEA MONSTERS, 1516. Sea serpent and dolphin from an edition of Pliny the Elders Historia Naturale, woodcut printed at Venice, Italy in 1516

SERPENTS, 1559. Entwined serpents, a symbol of physical and spiritual union. Woodcut French emblem, 1559

ETRUSCAN CHIMERA. Drawing after an Etruscan bronze statue, 5th century B. C
ETRUSCAN CHIMERA. Drawing after an Etruscan bronze statue, 5th century B.C

CARROLL: ALICE, 1907. Illustration by Arthur Rackham for Lewis Carrolls Alice s
CARROLL: ALICE, 1907. Illustration by Arthur Rackham for Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland. Illustration, 1907

GIRL WHO TROD ON A LOAF. Drawing by Arthur Szyk for the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

ARIOSTO: ORLANDO FURIOSO. Title page of a 1530 Venetian edition of Ludovico Ariosto s
ARIOSTO: ORLANDO FURIOSO. Title page of a 1530 Venetian edition of Ludovico Ariostos Orlando Furioso, with a woodcut portrait of the author

PRINTERs DEVICE, 1515. Device used by Johann Froben, Basel, Switzerland, 1515

PRINTERs DEVICE, 1494. Device used by Erhardt Ratold, Augsburg, Germany, 1494

KWAKIUTL DANCER, c1914. A Kwakiutl dancer of the winter ceremony wearing a double-headed serpent mask and a shirt made of hemlock boughs. Photograph by Edward Curtis, c1914

Mexico - Teotihuacan - carving of Quetzalcoatl
Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city located in the Basin of Mexico, today known as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian

Art Nouveau - pretty girl kisses a green serpent
Art nouveau postcard design by Nini Hager (Raphael Kirchner using his wifes name for certain works) of a beautiful girl kissing a serpent. Date: circa 1900

Uruguay - Float for the Edison Electric Company
Uruguay - Festival Advertising Float for the Edison Electric Company, South America. Date: circa 1910s

Picture No. 11050835
Crested Serpent Eagle Nagarhole National Park, Tiger reserve of Kabini, Karnataka, Indi, Asia Date:

Picture No. 11050834
Crested Serpent Eagle Nagarhole National Park, Tiger reserve of Kabini, Karnataka, Indi, Asia Date:

NEPAL - Patan The sunken royal bath of the Tusha Hiti, at Patan, dated to 1670, with a large array of intricate carvings

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, young, Sinton, Texas, USA, May 2005
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, young, Sinton, Texas, USA

Western Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma, young sunning on American Lotus(Nelumbo lutea) lily pad, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA

Bullsnake, Pituophis catenifer sayi, adult, Willacy County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA

Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon, is resting in a streambed in Central PA, USA, Controlled Situation

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In the vast tapestry of human history and mythology, the serpent has slithered its way into countless narratives, leaving an indelible mark on our collective consciousness. From ancient tales to modern depictions, this enigmatic creature continues to captivate our imagination. Kipling's "Just So Stories" introduces us to a mischievous serpent in "The Elephant's Child, " whose curiosity leads him on a transformative journey. Similarly, Caravaggio's masterpiece "Head of Medusa" portrays the terrifying visage of a Gorgon with serpents for hair, striking fear into all who gaze upon her. The Novgorod Icon "Last Judgement" depicts a biblical scene where sinners face divine retribution while Asclepius, represented as a statue in ancient Rome, holds his staff entwined by serpents as a symbol of healing and medicine. The infamous encounter between Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden of Eden forever changed humanity's course. This fateful interaction represents temptation and knowledge intertwined—a pivotal moment that shaped our understanding of good and evil. Dmitriy Stakhievich Moor's poster from 1919 titled "Death to World Imperialism" features an imposing serpent coiled around Earth—an allegory for oppressive power structures being challenged during times of revolution. On the Pergamon Altar stands Athena battling Alcyoneus—a giant defeated only through her cunning strategy. The presence of snakes adds another layer to this epic struggle between divinity and chaos. President Andrew Jackson is depicted destroying the Bank of United States in an influential lithograph cartoon from 1828. Symbolizing corruption and greed within financial institutions, it showcases how even leaders can be seen as serpentine figures when their actions are questioned. Gustave Doré's depiction of Leviathan reveals an immense sea monster with scales akin to those found on serpents—representing the untamed forces of nature and the depths of human fears.