1808
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Satan arousing the rebel angels is a 1808 watercolor by William Blake, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
You see a group of beautiful angels in a watercolour painting. They're nude and look like classical sculptures. The artist was inspired by a poem, which is interesting because it shows how art can be influenced by literature, and in this case, the poem 'Paradise Lost' led to some unique representations of Satan and the angels. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Blake, William.
William Blake’s watercolor depicts Satan standing fully frontal with arms raised and weight on his left leg, dominating a group of seven rebel angels who writhe in chains on rocky terrain below. Rendered in muted grey and brown tones, the composition shows the angels bound by metal wristbands while Satan, based on classical and Michelangelo-inspired figures, attempts to rouse them. Commissioned by patron Thomas Butts as part of a twelve-work series illustrating John Milton’s *Paradise Lost*, the scene diverges from Milton’s portrayal of Satan as a terrifying leader by emphasizing classical…
Read the full account in the museum source.
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker.
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