Sin Pursued by Death (John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 2, 787, 790-792) 1804

Moses Haughton the Younger created this print called Sin Pursued by Death, inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost. Here, the allegory of Sin emerges as a powerful figure, but chained. The chains bind her, yet she also holds the key, a potent symbol of both imprisonment and potential liberation. It recalls the classical image of the goddess Fortuna, who blindly dispenses fate, not bound by morality or divine law, with both the power to give and to take away, representing the vicissitudes of destiny. Consider the enduring image of chained figures throughout history. From Prometheus bound to his rock as punishment for defying the gods to the depictions of enslaved peoples, chains represent not only physical restraint, but also the psychological constraints of powerlessness and despair. These symbols work on our collective memory, tapping into primal fears and desires. The chained figure of Sin reminds us that even in moments of apparent helplessness, the possibility of change—symbolized by the key—remains within reach, echoing through history and resurfacing in our contemporary psyche.