caption: The image shows a black and white drawing of a man with a scythe in his hand, standing in front of a ladder with a snake coiled around it. The text at the bottom of the image reads "Hannibal Lecture of the Serpent". The man is wearing a long robe and has a determined expression on his face, as if he is ready to take on any challenge. The snake is coiled up around him, its scales glinting in the light and its eyes focused on something in the distance. The ladder is tall and slender, and the background is a stark white, giving the image a sense of mystery and foreboding.