is it a demon? Or simply death?
Good question, and great suggestion. William Blake was also putting various nefarious critters in some of his paintings during the 18th c.
In the 16th c Michelangelo did “The Last Judgement” behind the Sistine altar, and included Minos the Duke of Hell (?), modeled after one of his clerical critics at the Vatican, but portrayed himself as a flayed skin held by Saint Bartholomew.
H Bosch and Matthias Grünewald both painted centuries earlier and often including some scary figures. Hans Holbein the Younger painted “The Ambassadors” (16th c) which has a sort of smear low in the painting. When viewed from a certain angle the rest of the painting is smeared out and a skull appears.
The Nightmare – Henry Fuseli (mid 18th c)
https://www.artst.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/The-Nightmare-Henry-Fuseli-768x623.jpg
https://www.artst.org/demon-paintings/
It’s no mystery. It’s Shakespeare:
“Second Part of King Henry the Sixth
Act III. Scene III.
Scene III.—London. CARDINAL BEAU-
FORT’S Bedchamber.
Enter KING HENRY, SALISBURY,
WARWICK, and Others. The CARDINAL
in bed; Attendants with him.
K. Hen. How fares my lord? speak, Beaufort,
to thy sovereign.
Car. If thou be’st death, I’ll give thee Eng-
land’s treasure,
Enough to purchase such another island,
So thou wilt let me live, and feel no pain.
K. Hen. Ah! what a sign it is of evil life
Where death’s approach is seen so terrible.
War. Beaufort, it is thy sov’reign speaks to
thee.
Car. Bring me unto my trial when you
will.
Died he not in his bed? where should he die?
Can I make men live whe’r they will or no?
O! torture me no more, I will confess.
Alive again? then show me where he is:
I’ll give a thousand pound to look upon him.
He hath no eyes, the dust hath blinded them.
Comb down his hair; look! look! it stands up-
right,
Like lime-twigs set to catch my winged soul.
Give me some drink; and bid the apothecary
Bring the strong poison that I bought of him.
K. Hen. O thou eternal Mover of the
heavens!
Look with a gentle eye upon this wretch;
O! beat away the busy meddling fiend
That lays strong siege unto this wretch’s soul,
And from his bosom purge this black despair.
War. See how the pangs of death do make
him grin!
Sal. Disturb him not! let him pass peace-
ably.
K. Hen. Peace to his soul, if God’s good
pleasure be!
Lord Cardinal, if thou think’st on heaven’s
bliss,
Hold up thy hand, make signal of thy hope.
He dies, and makes no sign. O God, forgive
him!
War. So bad a death argues a monstrous life.
K. Hen. Forbear to judge, for we are sinners
all.
dose up his eyes, and draw the curtain close;
And let us all to meditation. [Exeunt.”
Cardinal Beaufort failed to signal Heaven, thus the demon portrayed by Reynolds in the painting is certainly what he saw coming to hold the Cardinal accountable for his sins.
Quite a clever interpretation of the scene, now revealed rather dramatically.
