The Brazen Serpent
Anthony van Dyck·1618
Historical Context
The Brazen Serpent (c. 1618-20), in the Museo del Prado, depicts the Old Testament episode in which God sent venomous serpents to punish the Israelites for their complaints, then instructed Moses to erect a bronze serpent whose sight would heal the afflicted. Van Dyck stages this dramatic scene with Rubensian energy, the writhing bodies of the snake-bitten Israelites creating a turbulent composition of suffering and salvation. The subject was understood typologically as prefiguring the Crucifixion — as the bronze serpent was raised to heal, so Christ would be lifted on the cross to save humanity. This early painting demonstrates Van Dyck's ambition to compete with Rubens in monumental narrative painting before focusing primarily on portraiture.
Technical Analysis
The composition shows the influence of Rubens in its dynamic arrangement of suffering and healed figures. Van Dyck's warmer palette and more refined modeling already distinguish his personal style from his master's more robust approach.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the writhing bodies of snake-bitten Israelites creating a turbulent composition of suffering and salvation.
- ◆Look at the Rubensian energy in the staging while Van Dyck's warmer palette and more refined modeling distinguish his personal style.
- ◆Observe the typological meaning — the bronze serpent raised to heal prefiguring Christ lifted on the cross — in this ambitious early narrative at the Prado.
