Holding a serpent, the symbol of birth and death, the young woman stares at us with a calm and secure look. Many cultures views the serpent’s shifting of skin as a re-birth, as well as its ability to take life with the poisoned bit likely symbolizes the death.
The woman holds the snake’s head in a firm grip, knowing that the lethal animal is unable to fight or defend itself with its head fastened. She wears a glove, which symbolizes the hand, and Man’s ability to act.
In this painting Danish supermodel Helena Christensen for the first time models in front of a painter - and not a camera.
