Then and Now: William Blake's Satan and the Victoria's Secret Angels

Yesterday I was looking at artistic renderings of the story of Satan's fall from Heaven and the subsequent fall of Adam and Eve in Eden. You know, just a casual Friday afternoon for me. (Actually, it was an art history lecture in my course on Miltonic literature) 

I really fell in love with William Blake's works (I am a sucker for watercolours), especially "Satan in His Original Glory." The ink and watercolor piece depicts Satan as he was originally - a perfect angel of God's creation, you know, before he launched war on God and then was expelled to Hell. And, let me tell you, Satan in his original form is pretty damn majestic. For whatever reason, when I first saw this piece, I thought of the Victoria's Secret Angels and their gorgeous wings.  

It's not too far off, is it? Both Lucifer and Gisele have the most fab wings on their backs - even in similar color schemes. And a pre-Fall Satan was quite feminine looking as well - with some fake tan and hair extensions, he could be up there strutting his stuff alongside the other VS Angels. Though, Gisele wins because I doubt Satan ever had Justin Timberlake crooning "SexyBack" behind him.  

No irony intended by putting Satan, a former arch-angel of heaven, next to Gisele, a former hot 'angel' of fashion

chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains

Let's go another round and see how the style trendsetters of today match up against the style trailblazers of yesteryears, shall we? 

Mr. T ... Kourtney Kardashian

On a November shopping trip in New York City with sis Kim, Kourtney looks like she raided Mr. T's jewelry box, wearing an incredible Micha Design cross necklace. I personally really dig this look - it's a definite risk, but the gal pulls it off seamlessly. Kourtney has grown to become a celebrity who isn't afraid to take risks when it comes to fashion, which I commend. (But I suppose if you're boyfriend is Scott 'I-wear-leopard-print-loafers-and-rock-Gordon-Gekko-hair' Disick, you have a superior view of what is edgy). I'm so tired of the endless stream of new 'It'-girls who wear safe, sweet little dresses and heels, and think that they are God's gift to fashion. 

Maybe Scott is good for something, after all. 

Penelope Tree ... Gisele Bundchen

After doing her best Bardot impression, Gisele Bundchen tries her hand at recreating the legendary look of Penelope Tree. While Gisele is arguably as influential in the fashion world (being the highest-paid supermodel ever) as Penelope Tree was during her days as David Bailey's muse, the appeal of the two women are strikingly different. Gisele is a Brazilian bombshell, whereas Penelope's ethereal alien-like beauty commanded - but did not overpower - photographs. 

Personally, I find Penelope's photograph to be much more compelling - the lighting is more interesting as it casts deep shadows against Tree's cut-glass boney frame. The shape of her body in relation to the photograph of the whole is much more appealing as well - with her shoulders slightly rounded, Penelope's body subtly conforms to the circular shape of the necklace. Gisele's body is much more toned - the lighting falls against her lean muscles, not her bones, which appear softer and less contrasting under the light. 

Title: from "Chains" (The Cookies)