A Man of Sin - Alexis Roos

This interpretation of Gula (Gluttony) is a very simple depiction of the sin in a female form. While the woman's shape and physiche are the main focal point, the point that eye draws to is actually the winged creature that hovers above the woman. In this piece it comes across that the creature may be the actual 'sin' (also representing how 'evil' the is as it looks much like the devil) and the woman is the outcome of the sin. The temptation (typically food) for the sin to be committed is displayed by the cup that the creature has given the woman. The boar at the woman's feet shows how animalistic this sin can be as the boar is actually consuming food and society tends to associate boars or hogs with people who eat a lot or do not share something they have (not always food).

Luxuria (Lust) is depicted in a very striking female form here. The same winged creature is hovering above the woman as if it is the sin itself, releasing itself onto the woman. This version of lust is actually quite provocative as her robes are falling off of her and she is left completely exposed though she doesn't seem to mind. The winged creature seems to be fixing the woman's hair as if to make her feel more comfortable in her situation. The woman is also wearing what seems to be expensive jewelry that only high class citizens could afford. This simple touch could imply the adultery that tended to happen among wealthy families or could even represent how some women would rebel against the wishes of their family in situations like arranged marriages. The use of the goat in this piece is a very strong religious symbol. The goat represents the Devil, lust, lubricity, and the damned, and for a woman that committed the sin of lust, she was seen as no better than those of the damned.

This next piece is a very different interpretation of the sin Lust. There is a lot more imagery to begin with but the concept parallels with the previous work. To start, the concept of the winged creature being the actual sin is still recognized and the sin is also taking form in a human woman. The interpretation is also very similar because the woman is almost completely nude, giving the most obvious vision of Lust as a human. Where the interpretation is different is that this woman is actually using her sin against men. She is seen holding chains in her hand that lead down to the men by her side, they are prisoners to her acts. There is also an archer perched in front of the woman. This could possible be how she is gathering all the men as they are seen as 'targets' to her. The reasoning for the animals however can be very open ended as there isn't one single animal that represents Lust. There are however, many that have been known to fight against Lust such as the rabbit/ hare while the fox, horse, and cat are a few of the animals that have been known to represent the sin. Since there are pairs of animals it could be a parallel in the animal world to what this woman is doing in the human society.

This is a really interesting interpretation of Avaritia (Greed) because most aspects are straightforward while there are some aspects that make the viewer think a little more. Once again we are presented with the winged creature above the seemingly female manifestation of Greed. What is interesting is that the women seems to be older and more fragile (almost sick) compared to the previous interpretations. This could be paralleling how 'ugly' greed is considered to be in society especially since the woman seems to have plenty of possessions. Another interesting aspect is that there is more interaction between the creature and the woman as it's fueling her greed by giving her more possessions, representing the inner desires. The woman is also accompanied by a toad at her feet. The toad is the common animal representation for the sin as it is seen as a symbol for snatching at life's fleeting pleasures. This simple fact could possibly hint to what the woman is actually hiding in her bags, something bigger than physical objects.

In this piece depicting Superbia (Pride/ Vanity), there is a very traditional interpretation being shown. Pride/ Vanity is one of the more 'obvious' sins as the interpretation is always quite similar among artists. Here we see all the different elements that point directly to a person committing Pride. As always, Callot has included the winged creature and this time the creature seems to be adorning the woman with a small headpiece as she admires her reflection in the mirror. It's interesting that the human manifestation of Pride/Vanity is made a woman here especially since there are many stories about the Narcissism in men. This could possibly parallel the importance of appearance during the time this piece was created and how woman were meant to be almost an 'accessory' to their husbands, meaning they must always look their best at all times. The woman is also draped in a high class dress and matching jewelry and she is drawn very small and thin. Women of her stature and appearance were looked to be the prime example of a 'beautiful' woman and for her to look like that meant that she didn't have to work, showing her wealth. Lastly the woman is accompanied by beautiful peacock on her left side. Peacocks have always been recognized as a symbol of Pride/ Vanity because of the way they naturally strut and display their bright colored feathers in order to attract a mate, very much like how high class individuals display their wealth and place through clothing and accessories.

This interpretation of Invidia or Envy is one of the most dynamic and interesting human forms out of the group. Many things are different about this piece and the first aspect is that the winged creature seems to be trying to get away from what it has created. Also this human form seems to be more androgynous than the others as it's really hard to tell the gender especially due to how skinny and unhealthy the body is. The reason for the body being so fragile and the face looking so desperate is because Envy is all about an 'insatiable desire' so essentially the human depiction here is starving for things it can probably never have. This interpretation seems to be hinting at the story of Medusa, as she was one the most envious characters in Greek mythology. If you look closely at some of the sections of hair they actually resemble snakes which could be what the creature is actually getting away from. However, the snake that is wrapped around the person's arm could mean two different things here. It could either be another indication of Medusa or it can be a hint to Adam and Eve especially since the person is holding what looks to be an apple. Either way, the snake is still representing how evil and vile the sin of Envy is. The dog the right side of the piece however is an interesting touch. Dogs usually represent loyalty, but here the dog seems to starved just like the human. This could be representing the loss of loyalty towards other people when one is committing Envy because usually a person who is envious will try any type of trick in order to get what they desire, but this interpretation is a loose one.

This next depiction is of Ira or Anger and is a very interesting interpretation because it is not one that most people would think of. This interpretation tends to lean more towards a fighter or courageous person, not so much an angry one. Upon further observation it seems that this depiction is actually fighting the sin. The man depicted here (this is actually the first male form of a sin shown so far) is very aware of the winged creature above him and he seems to be trying to swing his sword at the creature or fighting off the sin. The man is dressed as a solider, complete with a sword and shield but his torso is completely vulnerable. This could possibly be stating that the man could still fall victim to the sin of Anger/ Wrath, which for war could be a good or bad thing. What mainly pulls this depiction in this sort of direction is the fact that the man is accompanied by a lion (even though it is quite small). Lions are a symbol of strength and courage which doesn't directly tie into the understanding of Anger but Lions are known to be very mighty and destructive when they are angry so the representation could be a very loose one but it's something to think about.

This very simple sketch is a very straightforward interpretation of two sins already discussed (Anger and Envy) but it brings along Fear which hasn't been discussed and actually won't be brought up at any other point. 'Fear' itself is not a sin but it actually falls in with the 8th sin known as Tristitia. Tristitia is the sin that lies within the Catholic Devotions but not within the Catholic Virtues like the other seven sins. It is typically described with words such as sorrow, despair, and depression which can all be triggered by fear. Though this sketch is far from completion, it is still easy to decipher the three sins being shown here which are all depicted in male form. Fear is the one placed far away on the left side of the piece with the face of shock and terror though not much else really stands about his features. Envy seems to be the one is the middle with the sharp glare. This face though is quite unappealing with a very large nose, furrowed brow, and wrinkly skin, just like how the sin is so very unappealing. Anger is quite similar to envy, with the deep furrowed brow but the face is much more angular and harsher, giving the demeanor of someone always being angry and he could be the reason that the man of fear is separating himself from the other two.

The last sin to be analyzed is Pigritia also know as Acedia or Sloth. This human representation is once again in the form of a woman though the face of the woman appears to be one of no expression, as if she is dead. Sloth is seen mainly in two ways - physical laziness, and spiritual laziness. It is hard to tell which of the two is being depicted here but nonetheless there are some really interesting points to this piece that have not been seen in any of the pieces prior. For starters, there are actually two winged creatures here which could be representing physical and spiritual laziness. Another interesting factor is that one of the creatures in actually taking away a body that seems to be that of a man's. This could be a person that has already committed the sin and there is nothing stopping the creature from taking the person as he most likely won't fight back. Looking back at the main woman, she seems to be part of the working class due to her attire and her face could indicate that she is trying to resist the temptation of being sloth as the other creature is sitting directly behind her and she knows she must work in order to live. She could have been caring for the donkey/ mule that is laying beside her which could represent the lives that you could potentially harm/ forget about due to a commitment to sloth. The donkey/ mule actually doesn't have much representation except for being known as a 'worker' animal. So since it is laying down, it brings out the irony in the piece and propels the message even further to the viewer.

This final piece is the one with most subject matter but the overall message is consistent throughout. Though there is a lot to look at in this piece, there are just a few key aspects to point out that provide a full understanding of this interpretation of Sloth. The main thing here is that the sin is present in multiple human forms such as the working class, the sick, men, and women. The overall idea however is the same and that's the manifestation of physical laziness. Just like most of the other pieces of artwork there is some type of creature that seems to be a kind of 'carrier' for the sin and that's what creates the human interpretation. The same concept is shown here as you look around the drawing to see many different types of creatures like in the broken house or by the water. There is also the same animal imagery as the other Sloth piece with mule that is laying down with the working class woman on top of it, no longer caring for it and doing her work. What's really unique about this piece however is the incorporation of snails as snails are known for their very slow and unproductive ways, making them an obvious choice for this sin. The overall idea of this piece though is the destruction that is brought upon by Sloth. Due to everyone in the town falling victim to Sloth, nothing is being taken care of and the town begins to fall apart because of it. Some people were able to flee as shown in the top left corner as they make their way down the river, but they know that they cannot overcome the sin because too many have been affected and too much damage has been caused. Essentially these people have run out of time as shown by the large clock in the left hand corner. Also, it's sometimes easier to start over than it is to rebuild and that could be part of the overall imagery here. The main thing that is so fascinating about this piece is that there is so much subject matter that many different conclusions can be drawn from it.