Circle of Pier Francesco Mola, Italian 1612-1666- Satan’s fall from heaven; oil on canvas, 24.2 x 34.8 cm. Note: The prince of evil spirits and adversary of God, Satan is traditionally understood as an angel who rebelled against God and was...

Circle of Pier Francesco Mola, Italian 1612-1666- Satan’s fall from heaven; oil on canvas, 24.2 x 34.8 cm. Note: The prince of evil spirits and adversary of God, Satan is traditionally understood as an angel who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven with other ‘fallen’ angels before the creation of humankind. His fall from heaven is symbolically described in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-18 and is thought to have occurred before the creation of Adam and Eve, as Satan is already present in the garden in his fallen state. Indeed the grapes and foliage at left in the present work presumably reference Eden. Here, Beelzebub’s body shows monumentality and tension through his oversized muscles, and stretched, bent posture. This is heightened by the artist’s use of chiaroscuro and the setting of the figure against a distant background, separating and emphasising Beelzebub. The redness of his skin is heightened by the red leaves to the left, and reminds the viewer of his hellish status. The present work anticipates, in composition, the later well-known portrayal of the scene by Alexandre Cabanel (1847), held at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier.
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