The Brazen Serpent
Peter Paul Rubens·1638
Historical Context
Rubens painted The Brazen Serpent around 1635-40, depicting the Old Testament episode where Moses erected a bronze serpent to heal the Israelites bitten by venomous snakes. The subject was important in Catholic theology as a typological precursor to Christ's crucifixion. Rubens' late treatment transforms the biblical narrative into a dramatic scene of suffering and salvation, with writhing figures that recall the artist's Last Judgment compositions.
Technical Analysis
The composition fills the canvas with figures in various stages of agony and healing, creating a dynamic arrangement of intertwined bodies. Rubens' late style with its fluid brushwork and warm palette is fully evident in the rendering of flesh and movement.
Look Closer
- ◆Moses holds aloft the bronze serpent on a pole while the Israelites writhe below, bitten by the plague of fiery serpents sent as divine punishment
- ◆Those who look upon the bronze serpent are healed — their upturned faces express desperate hope — while those who refuse to look continue to suffer
- ◆The serpents coil around limbs and bodies with horrifying naturalism, their scales and forked tongues rendered with precision
- ◆The composition creates a vortex of suffering bodies spiraling upward toward the redemptive bronze serpent at the apex
Condition & Conservation
This late work from 1638 shows Rubens's continued ability to orchestrate complex multi-figure compositions. The canvas has been conserved with attention to the dramatic lighting contrasts. The painting has been relined and some retouching addresses losses in the darker passages.
