The artwork titled “And now on earth the seventh Evening arose in Eden” is a distinguished illustration by the artist Gustave Doré, who is recognized for his masterful engravings. This piece is part of the “Paradise Lost” series, which visually interprets John Milton’s epic poem. Executed in a Romanticism style, the genre of this work is illustration, which served to complement the literary source material and was meant to enhance the experience of the reader by providing a visual representation of the textual narrative.
The artwork itself exhibits a scene filled with tranquil beauty and a sense of deep contemplation. A vast, twilight sky looms above, with the soft glow of the setting sun nesting on the horizon, symbolizing the closing of the seventh day. Below this celestial spectacle, the terrain unfolds with an array of wildlife, both on the land and in the water. The natural world appears in harmony; various animal species are depicted in a state of repose or gentle activity, signaling the peaceful culmination of Creation as told in “Paradise Lost.” The use of dramatic contrasts of light and shadow imbue the scene with a profound sense of the sublime, which is characteristic of the Romanticism movement.
Doré’s adept skill in engraving is evident in the intricate details of the foliage, the creatures’ fur and features, and the distant landscape elements. Every stroke contributes to a sense of wonder and the intimate relationship between the divine and the natural world. The composition leads the observer’s eye from the occupied foreground, through the middle ground where the wildlife gathers, and ultimately to the transcendent backdrop of the sky—suggesting an interconnection between the earthly and the heavenly. This artwork thus serves as a powerful visual meditation on the themes presented in Milton’s timeless epic.
