THE DEVIL AND THE DAMNED – 19TH CENTURY

19th-century infernal scene in silvered metal, depicting the devil seated and asleep, his legs spread on either side of a cauldron. Inside it appears the bust of a damned soul in the midst of boiling, the head thrown back in a silent scream, frozen for eternity.

The composition rests on an irregular base evoking volcanic rock, reinforcing the infernal atmosphere of the whole. The contrast between the devil’s torpor and the suffering of the damned lends this sculpture a singular narrative force, characteristic of the moral and fantastical imagination of the 19th century.

We have encountered no other identical example. This is not a variation on a theme, but a singular object, firmly rooted in the infernal imagery of the 19th century that fully belongs in a cabinet of curiosities.

Fine craftsmanship, perfect condition.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSIONS : 15 cm × 14 cm
SIZE : 5.9" × 5.5"

In the 19th century, interest in the devil emerged within a climate of intense curiosity for the invisible and the supernatural. As science progressed and dogmas wavered, another quest unfolded: that of mystery, the irrational, and hidden forces. Salons became fascinated with magnetism, table-turning séances, ancient grimoires, and the devil once again became a central figure — no longer of fear, but of fascination. He embodied access to forbidden knowledge, the shadow accompanying the light of progress. Artists, poets, and collectors invoked him with almost scholarly fervor, somewhere between irony and desire. Through him, the century sought what eludes reason.