Artwork
Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton's `Paradise Lost')
Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton's `Paradise Lost') is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist William Hogarth. It dates from 1735 and is held in the collection of the Tate.
About this work
Overview
Satan, Sin and Death (A Scene from Milton's `Paradise Lost') is a painting executed in oil on canvas by William Hogarth in 1735. It illustrates a scene from John Milton's epic poem `Paradise Lost`.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts three figures: Satan, represented as a muscular man with a sword; Sin, a nude woman with a snake wrapped around her waist; and Death, a skeleton-like figure with an arrow in its chest. The scene conveys a sense of tension and conflict, as if the figures are engaged in a fierce battle.
Technique & Style
The painting employs chiaroscuro to create a sense of depth, with a predominantly dark palette featuring shades of brown and black. The use of light and shadow adds to the overall mood of tension and drama.
Context
The work was created during the rococo period, although Hogarth's style was not typically associated with the lighthearted and ornate qualities of rococo art. Instead, it reflects his background as a satirist and narrative painter, evident in other works such as `A Harlot's Progress` and `Marriage A-la-Mode`.
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Artist & collection
Artist
William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, satirist, cartoonist and writer.
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