Satan Starts from the Touch of Ithuriel’s Spear

1776

Inscribed 'Roma 1776' at the bottom, this dramatic drawing captures a supernatural sting operation from John Milton’s *Paradise Lost*. The angel Ithuriel (left) has just poked a toad with a magic spear, forcing it to reveal its true form: the muscular, winged Satan recoiling in shock above the sleeping Adam and Eve. Fuseli, a pioneer of the Romantic movement, uses intense shadows and flexing muscles to turn a biblical story into a high-octane action scene.

Technique: Pen and ink with wash
Material: Paper

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