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January 18, 2006
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:iconsphinxmuse:
Most of us are familiar with the biblical tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and of the serpent that tempts the first woman to taste the fruit that will bring Knowledge of Good and Evil to all humanity. I have noticed that in some medieval and renaissance depictions of this pivotal scene, the serpent is shown not simply as a snake, but as a mysterious creature whose upper body is that of a sensuous female while the lower limbs have fused into the form of a writhing serpent. This Serpent Lady coils among the trunk and branches of the tree, whispering of the delights to be found in the flesh of the forbidden fruit.

    Although I am not a Christian and do not ascribe to many aspects of a Judeo-Christian-Islamic worldview, these unusual depictions nonetheless intrigued me. Why would artists in antiquity choose to illustrate the Serpent in the Garden as distinctly female? Is it because they associated femininity with the introduction of sin into the world and with temptation? Would a female serpent entice a more sympathetic reaction from Eve than a wholly reptilian creature? Or were these artists trying to indicate an even deeper symbolic parallel between women and serpents? Perhaps artists in the renaissance, having access to Greek and Roman mythology, began to associate the biblical Serpent with the Sirens that tempted Odysseus with the promise of knowledge. I don't suppose that I can ever know for sure, but it certainly provides for food-for-thought which ended up inspiring this image.

    Stylistically, the intricate patternwork was inspired by the delicate henna body art (mehndi) of India as well as by other east Asian designs (there are four Asian bats circling this Serpent Lady). It is an exploration in using line to define form and elaborate without the use of shading. It was created with a Venetian glass dip pen I received as a Yule present and the Italian writing ink that accompanied it (the ink is a beautiful deep crimson when wet yet dries to a warm umber, which I found to be oddly reminiscent to blood).

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:iconsqueekycow:
~squeekycow Oct 31, 2011
the detail is just amazing!
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:iconelkepixie:
~Elkepixie Jun 6, 2010
this is GORGEOUS!
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:iconangelic1nightmare:
Mood: Wow! ~Angelic1nightmare Mar 18, 2010
wowwww!!!!!!!!!!! this is amazing!!!
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:iconlilielo-lawliet:
~Lilielo-Lawliet Jul 23, 2009
very nice

--
Peachy keen!
:aww:
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:iconneminightingale:
Mood: Wow! ~NemiNightingale Apr 17, 2009
Eek! O_O
This is amazingly beautiful.
I can't believe the amount of detail you put into this!
*is overwhelmed*

--
Nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae.
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:iconsphinxmuse:
~sphinxmuse Apr 23, 2009   Traditional Artist
Thank you :)

--
{desideratum}
www.DesireeIsphording.com
phée adornments | *phee-adornments
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:iconlemur-fox:
~lemur-fox Jul 15, 2008  Professional Filmographer
This looks fantastic, I love it, particularly the bats.

--
"The spider is now upon my person!"
-Moss, The IT Crowd.
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:iconifeeldancey:
~ifeeldancey Dec 30, 2007
Wow, this is wonderful. each one of the pieces in your gallery is amazing and meaningfull. I love how you go into detail describing your art, and I love the color of the ink you used and the lines and composition of this piece - It flows really well.
:heart:
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:icondumbsmartperson:
~dumbsmartperson Mar 13, 2007  Hobbyist Artist
i see the medival depictions and the christianity parts of this piece
but it reminds me a lot of henna

--
"It wasn't me who was wrong; it was the WORLD!"
-Lelouch vi Brittania
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:iconsphinxmuse:
~sphinxmuse Mar 14, 2007   Traditional Artist
Yes, the actual visual design aspect of this piece was based on mehndi body art.

--
{desideratum}
www.DesireeIsphording.com
phée adornments | *phee-adornments
Reply
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