Milton in Art, Part II

Sin, Death, and the Devil, 1792, James Gillray

Okay, okay. Last one, I promise. After Sarah wondered what the key meant in the Blake watercolor, I was trying to find out and came across this. How cool is this caricature? It's from the political satirist James Gillray, and according to the website I found it from, it parodies the quarrel between Prime Minister Pitt (Death) and Chancellor Thurlow (Satan), with Queen Charlotte in the middle (Sin), protecting Pitt. I think it's hilarious, and it was probably really offensive to the portrayed parties. I hope we get to this section in Cultural History because now I want to know more about the political context behind the painting.

Milton in Art

William Blake, Satan, Sin, and Death, 1808, Watercolor.

Just wanted to share this interesting image of Paradise Lost. It is Blake's rendition of Satan, Sin, and Death, and I like it because it is so luminous and bright. Instead of being completed with oil-based paints, it is a watercolor, which allowed Blake to portray Death as that terrible transparent shadow (in line with the way Milton described Death). There is also a lot of movement in it, and I especially like the creepy serpent coiled around at the bottom. Do you like it?