The Serpent

What does this painting say about Frazetta's art?

I ask this leading question because I absolutely adore this picture. Among all of his work, it exemplifies the power and simplicity of his compositional abilities.
Of course, it's a triangular composition. But this work literally has only 6 elements in it:
1) Figure
2) Snake (and not even any detail to the snake other than some painterly bumps near the tail end)
3) knife
4) water
5) swampy bubbles
6) lili pads
All else is blackness.
To me, a big part of the reason I go to see bands is to half-assed imagine that I could be on the stage. When I look at a Frazetta like this one, the simplicity, beyond saying that he probably painted it in an evening, says that even I could... just maybe... have painted it in an evening.
Part two of why this is so amazing (fan boy talk) is the believability of the figure. You can almost feel his strain against the snake. Frazetta really lived in his figures. The chest is straining, giving a counterpoint to the calf. The left arm really is at the best angle to try to pry the snake away. The neck is stretched to gasp for air, or just being yanked back by the tail.
Then there's the paint handling... again. Check out the perfect hint of reflection off of the knife, the reds and oranges of the water slime. Look at how the shadows fade out in a haze of red. Consider the psychology of the colors: Green for calm, red for energy.

Because the painting doesn't have a babe who has mysteriously fallen at the feet of the warrior, AND the primary figure isn't just posing (like in Silver Warrior) but, rather, is actually engaged in a struggle, this painting works as an allegory of internal struggle against complacency (or any other internal demon).