The Snake Eaters (Les Mangeurs de Serpents) by Paul Sérusier (Interpretation and Analysis)

Les Mangeurs de Serpents
Source: Wikimedia Commons

In the late-nineteenth century, Paul Gauguin established an artist’s community in the Breton town of Pont-Aven. Many artists who were exploring abstraction and other new forms of expression moved there to work and experiment in a creative environment. Among these artists were members of the Post-Impressionist, Symbolist, and Les Nabis movements. One such artist was Paul Sérusier, one of the early adopters of the move toward abstraction in art and a follower of Les Nabis.

Les Nabis were a group of artists who sought to connect to a higher spiritual reality through their art. They believed that art had the ability to reflect the human soul and to express a deep level of meaning. Their motto explains it all: "sounds, colors, and words have a miraculously expressive power beyond all representation and even beyond the literal meaning of the words."

Sérusier accomplished these goals through a bold, expressive style that featured abstracted forms and bright colleagues. His style has often been compared to his contemporary, Paul Gauguin, who used color in similar ways. Yet, it is undeniable that his style is highly individualized and distinct.

Color plays a prominent role in one of his strangest paintings Les Mangeurs de Serpents (The Eaters of Snakes). The piece depicts an obscure Breton legend. Snakes are traditionally a symbol of eternal life, thus it was believed that eating a snake would ensure that life would continue in the afterlife. In the painting, one woman has captured a snake and holds it up as the other figures prepare to kill and eat it. The whole piece is awash in shades of red, perhaps a symbol of the vitality of the people in the painting or a means of highlighting the fantastical nature of the piece. Whatever the reason, the red is both eye-catching and unsettling, which is probably an appropriate reaction to a group of snake eaters.

No matter what you think of the subject matter, it is a highly original piece that brings an ancient legend to life in an abstract dreamscape, and it’s hard to deny that it is both interesting and unique.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.