The Devil in Renaissance engravings | Ficta eloquentia

Lucifer Renascens or Renaissance representations of the devil

by Jorge Ledo on December 2, 2008

in chalcographica

. T here are a huge number of prints and drawings that represent the devil, the devil, a Lucifer-like-like during the Renaissance. As I have a time keeping, I thought it a good time to let some of them here. As always, the images to see a larger size or to walk in high resolution without the help of the text, all you have to do is click on them. The comments and descriptions of them are in the header and not the end.

We can start the engraving on the Apocalypse at the end of the fifteenth century made Albrecht Dürer. In the picture you can see in the lower left corner an angel coming together to Lucifer at the top, another angel shows John a city that represents the new Jerusalem. The image is part of a series that Dürer made between 1497 and 1498 on the subject.


Albrecht Dürer - Apocalipsis (1498-1499)


The following image was made by an anonymous engraver and printed in 1525 by Dirk Jacobsz. Represents the temptation of Christ. The devil is represented with angel wings, tails and pointy ears.


Dirk Jacobsz - La tentación de Cristo (1525)


The representation of the devil served on numerous occasions, as we shall see, to illustrate policy issues. This image shows the celestial Protestant church confronted with the Catholic church on earth. Two Protestant priests and their congregations are surrounded by clouds in the foreground. In the background, the Antichrist is on his throne surrounded by clerics. The print is part of a series of 48 that were prepared to accompany the translation was made Lorenzo Agricultural Commentary on the Apocalypse of Sebastian Meyer. It dates from 1548 and was its printer Gerung Matthias.


Matthias Gerung - La iglesia católica terrena y la protestante celestial


The following image is an engraving of Dürer's review we have seen above. This shows two angels devils chained to two and the New Jerusalem in the background. The number 21 is burned in a series conducted between 1546 and 1555 by Jean Duvet illustrating the Apocalypse (in this case, Chapter XX).


Jean Duvet - Apocalipsis XX


Duvet also printed out an image in 1555 this series was the revelation of St. John the Evangelist. In the center of the image can be seen to have a revelation Evangelista, a book with the first line of his gospel on their legs. At his feet are the devil falling to a ditch. At the same height on either side, represented the other three evangelists. In the upper Trinity. The devil is represented as a winged serpent and claws.


J. Duvet - La Revelación de San Juan Evangelista


Between 1544 and 1558, Matthias Gerung printed a series of engravings illustrating the life of the Antichrist, in 1565 they added embellishments to the images and texts from which dispensed here. Gerung printed almost simultaneously with the other series illustrating the Apocalypse, completely independent. Pick two images of particular interest. The first is the birth of the Antichrist. Appears in the center of the picture, sitting on a throne, a parturient with their heads covered breasts and teaching of your vagina leaving a devil and a drunk call from two women attending the two sides and a midwife grabs the child, while leaving the devil himself. To the right of the picture we see two other midwives holding a newborn, one breast-feeding on a brazier. The throne is the regional power, as in any way the text of Revelation.


Matthias Gerung - El nacimiento del anticristo (vida del anticristo - serie)


The second image in this series that I have chosen is the baptism of the Antichrist. In clear key reforms, the Antichrist takes his head in a papal tiara. It is surrounded by a group of demons dressed as priests and nuns. The baptismal font is on fire and the priest performed the ceremony has donkey ears, legs and claws and wings holding a nerdiludium or backgammon table (no joke) that symbolizes the Anglican church.


Matthias Gerung - El Bautismo del Anticristo (vida del Anticristo - Serie)


The following two engravings that you were brought in 1584 and 1585 by Marten de Vos, printed and published by Hieronymus WIERIX in Justus Sadeler presses. The reason for both is the same: the end of the devil. But it is interesting how the writer represents two very different ways the devil. The first image we have a San Miguel treading the tail of the devil remains in the soil. This is an angel with a serpent tail. Of course, the representation is directly dependent on the Apocalypse: "There was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. Also the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not because there was no place in heaven for them. And the dragon was thrown, the old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was thrown to the earth and his angels with him. "(Revelation XII: 7-9)


Marten de Voos - San Miguel vence a Satán


The second picture of Marten de Vos is the Christ overcoming the Devil. In this case, instead of the hybrid between angel and serpent we are the most traditional of the devil. Christ on the cross remains with him in his crucifixion as a sign of redemption from the sins of Christianity, reflecting the expiry of original sin, the Devil's hand is a snake biting an apple. At the same time, the Devil is represented with a skull that is mortal life and maturity.


Marten de Vos - Cristo venciendo a Satán


The devil, of course, also has a direct role in daily life. A good example, while a display of creative imagination, is in the three images that Hendrik Goltzius devoted to the topic of marriage (1595). In the image dedicated to the marriage of convenience, the liaison officer who is Satan. This is reflected with goat legs, claws of an eagle instead of hands, a woman's breasts, horns and a hood that covers the head.


Matrimonio oficiado por Satán (Tres clases de matrimonios - serie)


In the same year that Goltzius made his engraving, an old acquaintance of ours, of Theodor Bry, makes its alphabet, the New Alphabet Kunstliches, in line with the figurative alphabets of the Renaissance. Obviously, De Bry devoted the letter A, being the top all, the Genesis. Here you see how Eva-appears on your right, if there is doubt-handed Adam the apple and the devil on the top face-to-female icons in line we saw in the first engraving of Marten de Vos.


Nova Alphati effictio


Dated and engraver unknown, but probably made between 1590 and 1604 is the engraving that accompanied the consent of Scripture A Hugh Broughton. In the picture you can see a woman crowned representing Rome gallops on a seven-headed beast that is the Empire and with another seven-headed beast to the left which represents Satan. The pope is represented by an animal below them and the left can be seen to represent a large insect crowned Pope. At the bottom of the image reads: "The empire of Rome, that serveth Crucified Our Lord and Satan in might and Hypocrisy is thus pictured in God's Word".


The empire of Rome, that crucified our Lorde and serveth Satan in might and hypocrisy, is pictured thus in Gods worde


In addition to all the illustrations we have seen, confined to what is moral, a symbol or representation biblical propaganda, there are monsters in the Renaissance depictions of Lucifer without any additional charge, except for recreation as horrendous. The best known example is the engraving of Cigoli Lodovico, already made in the seventeenth century. Lucifer is represented here as a monstrous being three heads and three pairs of wings, submerged up to his chest in a lake devouring souls. The Lucifer tricéfalo reminded the Allegory of Prudence by Titian.


Lucifer - Lodovico Cigolli


The image of Lucifer devouring souls have an extensive tradition, which started almost at the beginning of the Middle Ages. You can see another image similar to the previous one, linked to the representation of the seven deadly sins in the engraving by Andrea Cione conducted in the 60 century XV:


Andrea di Cione - Lucifer


I can not close without referring to a collection that is within range of my favorites. This is the illustrations that accompanied the 1674 edition of Milton's Paradise Lost. Hendrik Eland were printed and are real works of art. Just put three of them.


El diablo a las puertas del pecado (Ilustración para el Paradise Lost)



Hendrik Eland, El diablo frente a Cristo (Ilustración para el Paradise Lost)



Hendrick Eland - El diablo en los Infiernos (Ilustración para el Paradise Lost)


I hope you enjoy both the pictures as I do. Incidentally, all copyright belongs to the British Museum. I leave for you, as always, the comments you do for your recommendations, añadáis more pictures and resources on the subject or comentéis what you come to win.

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trackback } (1 trackback)

The Devil in Renaissance engravings
12.02.08 at 7:23 am

comments… read them below or add one } (7 comments ... read them below or add one)

12.02.08 at 7:33 am 1 irreducible 12.02.08 at 7:33 am

Fantastic entry! Gradually this blog is becoming an important gap in my favorites. Leyéndonos Congratulations and continue.

Un saludo.

12.02.08 at 7:37 am 2 Jorge Ledo 12.02.08 at 7:37 am

Thank you very much for the comment and for passing. We are still reading, no doubt.

12.02.08 at 1:58 pm 3 eulez 12.02.08 at 1:58 pm

... Very good post or article, go.

12.03.08 at 1:07 am 4 Jorge Ledo 12.03.08 at 1:07 am

Entry, entry ...

12.21.08 at 8:36 pm 5 Geimer Marín 12.21.08 at 8:36 pm

Congratulations for your page. I would like to send me links where find images and articles on the matter.

03.08.09 at 9:12 am 6 Elizabeth Maldonado 03.08.09 at 9:12 am

I really was impressed with the images is all that is true because I read the word of God and says esactamente what I saw. God abundantly bless these people whom God inspired to work in this beautiful work of art. amen!

04.25.09 at 9:28 am 7 Juan Carlos Villaverde 04.25.09 at 9:28 am

Very good photos, thanks for your input man. Good luck, and God and the angels are always caring and always with us.

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