Art, Symbol & Imagination
Satan Finds the Sleeping Serpent
The serpent’s dark coil lies directly beneath the bent figure, creating a quiet meeting between two sharply different bodies. Satan’s wings fill much of the upper space, while the animal remains close to the bare ground. The printed verse identifies the serpent sleeping in self-folded rounds. Doré makes the preparation for temptation a moment of concentrated attention rather than an attack. The plate belongs to the search for a form through which the intruder can approach Eve, placing the coming deception before the garden scene becomes openly disturbed.
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Citation
Gustave Doré (design). "Satan Finds the Sleeping Serpent" [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 255. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/milton-dore-254
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 Finds the Sleeping Serpent. Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré. Scan leaf 255. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/milton-dore-254