Artwork
Sin, Death, and the Devil, vide Milton
Sin, Death, and the Devil, vide Milton is a watercolor print by the Romanticist artist James Gillray. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
James Gillray’s 1792 print titled *Sin, Death, and the Devil, vide Milton* is an etched image that he later enhanced with watercolor on laid paper.
James Gillray’s 1792 print titled *Sin, Death, and the Devil, vide Milton* is an etched image that he later enhanced with watercolor on laid paper. The work presents a turbulent tableau of three grotesque figures, each wielding fiery or luminous weapons, set against a dark, swirling backdrop. Its vivid coloration and exaggerated forms create a dramatic, almost theatrical scene that reflects Gillray’s characteristic satirical edge.
Subject & Meaning
The composition alludes to the trio of Sin, Death, and Satan from Milton’s *Paradise Lost*, reimagining them as caricatured personae. By placing a crowned figure, a horned green creature clutching a child, and a sword‑wielding demon together, Gillray juxtaposes moral and political anxieties, inviting viewers to read the image as a commentary on contemporary corruption and the perils of power.
Technique & Style
Gillray combined traditional copper‑plate etching with hand‑applied watercolor, allowing him to accentuate details with bold hues and to intensify the chaotic atmosphere. The use of laid paper provides a textured surface that enhances the contrast between the dark background and the bright, saturated pigments, while the crisp etched lines preserve the precision of his caricatured figures.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in 1792, during the height of Gillray’s career as a leading political cartoonist. It entered the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of 18th‑century satirical prints, illustrating the artist’s influence on visual political discourse of his era.
Context
Gillray’s output in the late 1700s frequently targeted prominent figures such as King George III and Napoleon, employing humor to critique authority. *Sin, Death, and the Devil* fits within this broader practice, using mythic allegory to veil contemporary commentary, and exemplifies the way satire and print culture intersected to shape public opinion in pre‑Victorian Britain.
Artist & collection
Artist
James Gillray (13 August 1756 – 1 June 1815) was an English caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810.
The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo
H Beard Print Collection
The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo
The Great Red Dragon and the Beast from the Sea
The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo
Satan Smiting Job with Boils
The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; The Devils Tormenting Ciampolo
The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun (Rev. 12: 1-4)
Et vidi alium angelum fortem... (The Angel of the Apocalypse Appearing to Saint John)
Satan Smiting Job with Boils
Satan and Death with Sin Intervening