Art is the Solution

The Genius of Evil by Guillaume Geefs Source: Wikimedia Commons A few days ago, I discussed Franz von Stuck’s portrait of Lucifer. Though his depiction of the fallen angel is bone-chilling, Belgian artist Guillaume Geefs’ depiction of Satan is undeniably beautiful. The Genius of Evil (which is a fabulous name by the way) is a life-size statue of the devil that was commissioned for the pulpit of St. Paul's Cathedral in the Belgian city of Liège; the theme of the decoration was supposed to be "the Triumph of Religion over the Genius of Evil." While this triumph is represented in the chain around his ankle and the broken scepter in his hands. If you overlook his massive bat wings, horns, and talon-like nails, Geefs’ Lucifer appears to be an otherwise ordinary man, albeit a rather handsome one. In studying his work, it is obvious that Geefs was influenced by both the Neoclassical and Romantic movements. Lucifer’s dramatic pose and overt emotion (you can see a tear sliding d...