Art, Symbol & Imagination
Satan Rises from the Burning Lake
The upright rebel dominates a landscape of flame and broken rock, while a second figure remains lower beside him. The difference in posture makes defiance visible before any council or battle begins. Milton’s caption describes Satan raising himself from the pool after the fall. Doré gives the scene the proportions of a monumental encounter: bodies occupy the foreground, but the burning distance makes their punishment seem larger than any individual. The composition joins the aftermath of defeat to the determination to act again.
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Citation
Gustave Doré (design). "Satan Rises from the Burning Lake" [editorial title]. In Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré, John Milton; illustrated by Gustave Doré; edited by Henry C. Walsh. Undated John W. Lovell Company edition; exact publication year unverified, undated edition, John W. Lovell Company. Source scan leaf 16. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/milton-dore-15
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Full source plate, printed verse caption and surrounding poem reviewed. Editorial title; original scan tonality retained. Over-dark plates excluded.
Sources
From the book
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave DoréJohn Milton; illustrated by Gustave Doré; edited by Henry C. WalshUndated editionMore from this book
All 40 illustrations
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Cite this illustration
Gustave Doré (design). Satan Rises from the Burning Lake. Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré. Scan leaf 16. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/milton-dore-15