Artwork Information

Sin and Death, sensing the success of their father, Satan, decide to build a bridge to Earth where they will now dwell. Satan, however, is turned into a serpent on his return from Paradise. Whereas the earlier scene shows Satan leaving the gates of hell in a great upward surge, with Sin and Death in the foreground, here they crouch together as if straining to pull Satan down towards them. His body suggests an ephemeral lightness, which can only be captured by Death and Sin’s strenuous efforts.