The subject is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 28 verses 1-6. Paul, along with fellow prisoners, destined for Rome, was shipwrecked off the island of Malta. A bonfire was lit, and while gathering wood for it Paul was bitten by a viper. He shook the serpent from his hand and cast it into the fire. The artist has exaggerated the story for dramatic effect surrounding the fire with more vipers. The figures are shown in dramatic poses which retain a degree of mannerism. The subject was a popular one in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

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