Will the Real Adversary Please Stand Up?
With this, the thirteenth entry in A Year in the Library, we’re giving The Devil his due. This post will look at books, art, and objects pertaining to The Devil and devils (in Western Culture), the latter being unnamed demons of devilish character. Such topics as witches and Hell will be considered in later posts as each deserves its own exhibition catalogue in our virtual tour of The Collection. Also absent will be much on Satanism, (the suffix “ism” being a bit too derivative for this post). Sorry, Anton!
In addressing the theme of Satan, our first consideration shall be: which one? The Old Testament Adversary: the one who made a bet with Yahweh about the piety of a down-on-his-luck guy named Job? How about Lucifer, the light-bringer and Promethean bearer of forbidden knowledge? Maybe Satan; evil incarnate, the nefarious corrupter of people’s souls? Or perhaps Mephistopheles, the bawdy trickster, satirizer of humanity’s folly? So many from which to choose, so little time before that 13-year contract comes due...
It is these many variant incarnations of the devil, each in itself an archetype, that have endowed Old Scratch with such longevity throughout human history and culture. He is a recurring protagonist across Westen literature, from Dante and Milton to Bulgakov and Gaiman. He is omnipresent in modern popular culture: in the cinema, comics, tattoos, and advertising. In the Biblical tradition, he was there at all the Big Events: The Fall of Man, assorted temptations of Christ, the Apocalypse, and, of course, reigning over the eternity of Hell. On an infinitely smaller scale, he has also been observed lurking about in more than a few darkly-lit corners in The Library.
Satanic Verses
Reviled or worshipped, The Great Dragon is a popular guy and there is no shortage of books written about him. There are numerous tomes about Morningstar in The Library in the sections for theology, philosophy, art history, literature, psycho-anthropology and mythology, and ceremonial magick. For this post, however, we’re primarily going to consider those that are heavily illustrated, as purely textual volumes, while useful for striking bargains and arranging house-calls, are less visually interesting.
Various.
A small selection of the aforementioned (mostly) textual volumes that provide a more authoritative history of the Archfiend.
The Old Enemy. 1989.
Paperback book by Neil Forsyth. Princeton University Press. About 15 x 23 cm., 524 pp.
I did say “primarily”. What this lengthy narrative of Satan’s literary biography in the ANE (Ancient Near East to the cognoscenti) and biblical texts lacks in images, it makes up for in scholarship and erudition. Definitely the thing for background on the O.E.
Art of the Devil. 2009.
Hardcover book by Arturo Graf. Parkstone International. About 28 x 33 cm., 256 pp.
This brimstone table book focuses on such themes as Acts of the Devil and Defeats of the Devil (nothing, however, about details or de horns). The author employees a conversational (and occasionally opinionated) style of writing. The book contains a nice sampling of images, mostly from the Medieval and Renaissance periods, with a healthy smattering of 19th century works.
From Albrecht to Ingmar, this trio’s a classic.
Medieval artists never missed an opportunity to satirize the clergy. Here a devil is accompanied by a unique nose flute with tonsure-itis.
Cloudy with a chance of damnation.
Damned. An Illustrated History of The Devil. 2012.
Hardcover book by Robert Muchembled. Sevil Chronicle. About 28 x 31 cm., 110 pp.
Another book of full-page color images, this time with a greater chronological breadth up to and including modern times.
The coin of the terrestrial realm.
Reminds me of a Jhane Barnes sweater I once owned...
A Gibson Girl with wings or the Batwoman of Earth 43?
Angelus & Diabolus: Angels and Devils. The History of Good and Evil in Christian Art. 2016.
Hardcover book by Maria-Christina Boerner. H. F. Ullmann Publishing. About 30 x 45 cm., 800 pp.
An impressive book suitable for any shelf capable of supporting the weight of this massive 800-page tome. The book is divided into small groupings which cover a broad variety of themes and topics. Because of its size, the color illustrations which grace almost every page are particularly striking.
Some of the aforementioned groupings.
A Saintly knight making his point clear.
The Art of the Devil. 2019.
Hardcover book by Demetrio Paparoni. Cernunnos. About 20 x 26 cm., 384 pp.
This picture book provides an expansive view of The Devil across time, cultures, and media. It contains many more modern and contemporary examples than the perilously-cited volumes.
Sofubi Satans, of course!
Haring meets Giotto?
Should have used a higher SPF...
The Printer’s Devil
Satan plays an important role in the didactic instruction of the populace. In print culture, the Father of Lies appears as a tempter of both the original and the second Adam (i.e., Christ), having had a bit more success with the former. In Romantic literature, The Prince of this World often portrays a more erudite and sympathetic role as exemplified in later illustrated editions of Paradise Lost. Later he plays a crass figure appealing to humanity’s more base appetites.
The First Temptation of Christ. c. 17th Century. (?) Engraving on paper from a Bible. England. About 16 x 23 cm.
This Biblical print illustrates the first temptation (in the Gospel of Matthew, at least) of Christ by The Devil wherein the latter asks the former to make bread from a stone. The Devil is depicted with horns, wings, and a serpent entwined about his arm, latter portion of which deftly serves as his tail.
A closer look at The Tempter. Sure you don’t want any stoned wheat bread?
The First Temptation of Christ. 1730s. Copper engraving on paper from Pysica Sacra by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer. About 24 x 39 cm.
Inside an elaborate border of sinuous dragons and a bestial devil, a serpent-bodied Satan offers up a rock for transmutation. In contrast to the similarly-themed print above, much more space is allotted to the landscape surrounding the protagonists. In this visually typological allusion, the serpent in the garden offering an apple becomes the serpent in the wilderness bearing a rock.
At close inspection, the Devil appears almost caterpillar-like. Where’s your hookah, Absalom?
Satan Plunges into the River Styx. c. 1860. Steel engraving on paper. French edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost. About 28 x 39 cm.
In this 19th Century depiction of Stan’s fall by Louis Auguste Darodes (after Jean-Jacques Flatter), the Winged Wicked One has yet to lose his angelic good looks.
Come on in, the water’s fine!
The Meaning of It All. 1890. Magazine illustration on paper by Thomas Nast. The Illustrated American, August 30, 1890. About 22 x 31 cm.
This illustration of an impish Author of All Sin hails from Nast’s later period. This from the same artist who created the GOP’s asinine animal spirit. Should we be drawing any connections?
The corruption of mankind, all from the comfort of a soap bubble, a metaphor for the transient nature of humanity’s earthly pursuits.
“La Bonne Adventure” Game Board Label. Early 20th C.
Print on paper. France. About 32 x 25 cm.
It’s not entirely clear how “good” this adventure is going to be with three demons waiting for you to play, but undoubtedly this precursor to Jumanji and an interminable number of ‘80s horror films will provide a memorable experience; perhaps for longer than you might like.
Just waiting for his next sponsorship contract...
“Le Diable S’Amuse” Game Board Label. Early 20th C.
Print on paper. France. About 33 x 26 cm.
This game appears to be associated with some form of cartomancy or divination. The purpose of the umbrella is not entirely clear.
The Wizard will see you now...
The Devil Incarnate
The Prince of Darkness manifests himself not just on paper, but in various media throughout The Collection. Whilst your Archivist awaits an in-person appearance, these objets d'art will have to suffice.
Satan Perfume Bottle. 20th Century. Glass. Reproduction (?). About 8 cm.
A voyeuristic devil looks forward to the resultant activity that oftentimes follows the intoxicating effects of perfume.
Devil Halloweeen Mask. 1950s. Plastic. France. About 18 cm.
A Mephistophelian satyr mask suitable for your next Bacchanalian foray.
Little Devil Planter. 1955. Ceramic. Kreiss. About 15 cm.
The perfect receptacle for the budding horticulturalist’s crop of hemlock and nightshade.
Satan and an Eclipse. c. 1960. Pottery tile. Eastern Europe. About 23 x 23 cm.
A Mid-Century Mephistopheles with an Eastern European twist- how could I not?
Satan Decal. c. 1960. Paper decal. Produced by Impco. About 8 x 6 cm.
Designed by Donald Ricardo Monteverde, this artifact is from the 1960s hotrod craze that brought us Rat Fink and fanciful Barris-mobiles.
Mephistopheles Shot Glass. c. 1960. Ceramic. German. About 5 cm. high
A cheery smile entices the would-be imbiber to drink fully and share the good spirits. As is the case with taking up the Prince of All Sin on his offers, there’s usually a price to be paid later.
Devil Desk Ornament. c. 1960. Iron. Eastern Europe. About 17 cm. long.
A neutered version of a popular piece of 20th Century decorative art. Less demure versions tend to be a bit heavier along the bottom side.
Devil Puppet. c. 1980. Ceramic figure by Federico Fabbrini. Italy. About 14 x 14 cm. box exterior, 11 cm devil.
In this piece of puppetry art, the roles are reversed, and it is we who pull the devil’s strings.
Just stringing you along...
Ruler of Hell. c. 1980. Art Glass. About 10 cm. to top of scepter.
This small sculpture depicts a kneeling devil holding a death’s head scepter. Perhaps an allusion to Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death” or an acknowledgement that “the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One” (1 John 5:19). Or both.
Little Devis hors d'oeuvres picks. c. 1980. Plastic. Pylones, Paris. About 8 cm.
“You cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). I’m betting the former has better china and the latter better food.
Santeria Candles. c. 1985. Wax candles. Hong Kong. About 19 cm.
The real mystery here is not why these ceremonial candles are in The Collection, but why as yet they remain unused.
Two-Faced Devil Ornament. 1990s. Glass. About 13 cm.
What better example of the dual nature of Satan than this topsy-turvy ornament. Here a devil in theatrical leotards contemplates souls won and lost.
Those last-minute salvations are so unfair.
Devil Dia del Muerte Mask. 1980s. Papier-mâché. Mexico. About 31 cm.
Large horns, donkey ears, and a lascivious tongue to match grace this bestial version of The Wicked One.
All in the Cards
In the Tarot, the fifteenth card in the Major Arcana reserved for the Devil. Positioned upright, the card is often interpreted as representing the shadow-self, of entrapment in materialistic pursuits. Reversed, the card provides the opportunity for self-awareness and the unfettering of the psyche, but always at a cost. For our purposes, the depiction of the Devil in the context of the Tarot usually provides solitary portraits of the Dark One, without the distraction of much background or spectacle. In the examples below, the cards also illustrate how various artist have chosen to represent (or obscure) the Prince of Perdition’s sexuality.
Devil Card. 2018 (?), reprint of c. 1660 edition. Tarot Card from a Tarocchini Deck by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli. About 7 x 14 cm.
In about 1660, the Baroque artist Giuseppe Maria Mitelli crated a new vision of the Tarot deck for his Bolognese patron, Count Prospero Bentivoglio. The Devil is depicted seated in a classical pose, holding a trident like some plutonian Neptune, unpossessed of any genitalia.
Devil Card. 1970, reprint of an 1830 edition. Tarot Card from The Swiss Tarot Deck (1JJ) pub. by AG Muller + Cie. About 6 x 11 cm.
This card illustrates a moralizing scene with a giant-sized devil lording over a woman weeping in shame. The Beast is depicted in satyr-like form, hirsute with cloven hooves and horns. His tail protects his modesty whilst simultaneously being suggestively phallic.
Devil Card. c. 2008 Tarot Card from The Deviant Moon Tarot Deck by Patrick Valenza. About 7 x 13 cm.
A toothy grin fills the face of this smooth-skinned red devil as he laughs whilst gleefully dancing on a barren world of volcanic smokestacks. Here the artist has deftly posed the Great Deceiver such that his raised left leg obscures his nether regions and any organs thereabouts.
Devil Card. 2015 (?). Tarot Card from The Lost Tarot Deck by Dominic Murphy. About 7 x 9 cm.
This devil is depicted in a Baphomet-like pose, sitting crossed legged facing the viewer with gesturing hands. The card is from a deck described by the artist as “Strange Arcanas from the ancient legends of Atlantis”. Less coy than the cards above, but not explicit, an open mouth and tongue serve as this Devil’s androgynous organs.
Devil Card. 2016. Tarot Card from Le Tatarorot Deck by Marc Brunier Mestas. About 13 x 20 cm.
In this card, the Old Enemy is rendered as a hermaphroditic beast in a faux woodcut style, its sexuality on full display. On either side, the Devil is attended by chained acolytes befitting a Bay Area bondage club. So I’m told...
Devil Card. c. 2018. Tarot Card from The Carnival at the End of the World Deck by Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick. About 7 x 13 cm.
This is a unique rendition of the Dark One, designed by a pair of collaborative artists who specialize in photographic tableau vivant. The Fiend’s Krampus-like attire is reminiscent of traditional European pagan costumes. I think Lord Summerisle would approve.
Devil Card. 2019. Card from The Wizard's Tarot by The Wizard of Barge (Dakota Cates). About 7 x 12 cm.
A post-punk pink Prince of Evil in Perdition. This cartoonish cad modestly hides his member behind a cranial codpiece. So much for our abysmal attempts at abyssal alliteration.
Portrait of Satan. C. 1779. Engraving by Thomas Holloway. Physiognomische Fragmente. England. About 26 x 33 cm.
And, as now seems to be tradition, the pièce de resistance is saved for last. A genuinely disturbing portrait of Satan (exemplifying the emotion of fear) from an English edition of Johann Caspar Lavater’s 1775physiognomic text, Physiognomische Fragmente zur Beförderung der Menschenkenntnis und Menschenliebe (if you must know). Such a furrowed brow and big doe-eyes; equally befitting a Keane painting. Why so sad?
Don’t fret, another post from The Library is sure to follow. Eventually.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief dance with The Devil. It’s the forbidden pursuits that tend to be the most fun. Please come back to see what’s next on the exhibition calendar at A Year in the Library. Exeunt The Archivist.
Thank you for visiting.
le Compte Paul Gregoire de Gustibus
“Nothing is but what is not.”