This painting was acquired for the Gallery of Modern Art of Palermo at the 8th Venice Biennale of 1909 and is considered one of the masterpieces of Symbolism.
The theme is inspired by the contrast between Good and Evil and the protagonist is a bewitching woman, her face shadowed and a defying gaze, and her snow-white, nude body comes into the viewer’s sight through her dark, thick tresses. She is enveloped by a sinuous snake. The artist was part of the Munich Secession and had taken interest in the subject since 1891. Indeed, there are eleven different versions of the same subject.