Fotoreproductie van een prent, voorstellende Satan wordt voor Gabriel geleid before 1876

This photogravure illustrates a scene from Milton’s Paradise Lost, capturing Satan being led before the angel Gabriel. Within a stark, vaguely lit scene, the figures represent a moment of confrontation, laden with symbolic weight. Consider the figure of Satan, his posture, and the shadows that engulf him. This echoes motifs found in ancient depictions of defeated gods or heroes, a visual language of decline and moral struggle. We see similar themes in depictions of the fall of pagan gods during the rise of Christianity, where the vanquished deities are cast into darkness, symbolizing the triumph of a new order. The contrast between light and shadow in this image engages with the collective memory of spiritual conflict, touching on our deepest fears and aspirations. The struggle between good and evil, as visualized here, becomes a cyclical, recurring theme throughout history, constantly reshaped by cultural and psychological forces.