Five Historical Depictions of Satan in Art from Byzantine Mosaics to Contemporary Baroque
A 520 CE mosaic in Ravenna's Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo presents what may be the oldest artistic depiction of Satan, showing a blue-winged angel representing Lucifer in the Parable of Sheep and Goats. Italian contemporary artist Roberto Ferri's 2013 painting "Lucifero" offers a noble, idealized angel with gangrenous feet, blending Baroque style with modern themes. Utagawa Kuniyoshi's 1850 woodblock print "Ghosts, Devils, and the King of Hell" depicts Emma-ō, the Japanese Buddhist ruler of Jigoku, judging souls. Islamic tradition portrays Iblis as a jinn or fallen angel in a 13th-century manuscript from the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Alexandre Cabanel's 1846 study "The Fallen Angel" shows Lucifer in despair after banishment, reflecting the artist's own struggles with academic rejection. These works span cultures and centuries, revealing evolving interpretations of demonic figures through mosaic, painting, and printmaking techniques.
Key facts
- A 520 CE mosaic in Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy may be the oldest depiction of Satan.
- Roberto Ferri painted "Lucifero" in 2013, presenting an idealized angel with gangrenous feet.
- Utagawa Kuniyoshi created the woodblock print "Ghosts, Devils, and the King of Hell" in 1850.
- Iblis appears in a 13th-century Islamic manuscript, Kitāb al-mawālīd, held in Paris.
- Alexandre Cabanel's 1846 study "The Fallen Angel" shows Lucifer hiding his head in despair.
- The Japanese King of Hell, Emma-ō, judges souls for rebirth or punishment in Buddhist mythology.
- Ferri's style is often compared to Caravaggio, blending religious themes with eroticism and torture.
- Cabanel's 1847 final version of "The Fallen Angel" depicts Lucifer with wrath and muscular tension.
Entities
Artists
- Roberto Ferri
- Utagawa Kuniyoshi
- Alexandre Cabanel
Institutions
- Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
- The British Museum
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Musée Duplessis
Locations
- Ravenna, Italy
- London, UK
- Paris, France
- Valcourt, Canada