From the illustration description in Son of Prometheus:
Continuing on the same theme as the previous image, this is an illustration of Péladan’s imagining of the fallen Lucifer and his children, the Oelohites, described in Istar and his theoretical work Comment on devient Ar(t)iste:
“In the Ether, where the giant stars circle, there was a small world – insubordinate to the Sun – a small, vagrant world. The Ancients of Days and the Watchers know the sin of the planets. The Sun is the heart of Satan who burns… He wanted to become the Messiah, his demon’s heart was no less than the heart of a prince; he had beauty, genius: but charity was lacking and everything was confounded. God left him his glory when punishing his crime: the soul of the false Jesus is the fuel of the sun, resplendent over the world… Satan and his angels fell because of the mirage of their oeuvre; these artists of creation were seduced by their own handiwork…”
Their punishment was to live on Earth for Eternity, and to mate with humans so as to raise their spiritual awareness as they had originally desired to do (see Chapter 4 for the details of this). Some reacted in fury at the thought of coupling with humans and corrupting the “daemonic” race; others did so gladly, others chose incest. At the top of the cliff we see angels raging at their fate, while the cherubim guard the passage to heaven (a six-winged eye denotes a cherubim in Greek iconography; here it is a six-winged padlock). Other angels accept their fate, embracing the urge to procreate; and on the lowest terrace a human has begun to create in the light of Lucifer’s blazing heart… taking the first step back towards the heavens for both humans and angels alike.
Available in 4 highly limited Editions:
1 Original pen and ink freehand illustration in black and white with gold details (SOLD) by Sasha Chaitow on Saunders Waterford rough Watercolour paper, 31×41 cm as reprinted in Son of Prometheus: The Life and Work of Joséphin Péladan; Sigilized by the artist.
Only 1 print fully hand-colored in antique, drawing, and calligraphy inks by Sasha Chaitow on smooth watercolour paper, c.30×42 cm. Signed, numbered*, dated by the artist.
Only 1 print dichromatically hand-colored (red + gold) in antique, drawing, and calligraphy inks by Sasha Chaitow on smooth watercolour paper, c.30×42 cm. Signed, numbered*, dated by the artist.
3 black and white prints with gold details on smooth watercolour paper, c.30×42 cm. Signed, numbered*, dated by the artist.
* numbered as part of one of seven print sets, i.e. 3/7, 4/7, 5/7 (black and white), 6/7 (diachromatic) or 7/7 (fully colored). Print sets 1 and 2 are privately owned and currently not for sale.
