Fabel van Jupiter en de slang

Jupiter is seated with his eagle among a group of gods including Neptune and Pan at a celestial table. Below them, a large serpent on a rocky shore offers a rose toward the heavens, set against a backdrop of a rising sun and distant ships. The scene illustrates an Aesopic fable regarding the inherent nature of creatures and the rejection of a gift from a venomous source.

As a work by the imperial engraver to Rudolf II in Prague, this print reflects the Rudolfine court's interest in moral philosophy and the symbolic use of animals. The fable emphasizes the philosophical concept that external beauty (the rose) cannot mask an essential nature (the serpent's venom), aligning with the Neoplatonic search for hidden truths behind appearances.