Fallen Angels in Hell | John Martin | c. 1841 José de Ribera painted in 1863

painted in 1863

Bruegel encourages viewers to reflect on their own actions and the societal norms of their day

this later version expands the literary tragedy into a symbol of successive generations sacrificed to failed uprisings and patriotic struggle

but with a more simplified and abstract approach

The composition draws attention to the uneasy interplay between commerce and spectacle: the exotic skins are presented almost like trophies

Fallen Angels in Hell | John Martin | c. 1841 José de Ribera painted in 1863About the artwork: Fallen Angels in Hell, also known as The Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium, draws its subject from Book I of John Miltons Paradise Lost, where Satans defeated legions gather after being cast out of Heaven. Across a vast infernal landscape, countless figures descend through smoke and fire, dwarfed by jagged cliffs, glowing abysses, and monumental architecture. The burning reds and impenetrable shadows transform Hell into an entire