13th Century

The Weighing Demon

A demon attempting to tip the scales during the psychostasis.
Catalog ID
OCID-0234
Medium
Oxford, England
Source
De Brailes Hours
Origin
Oxford, England

Scholarly Analysis

The soul-weighing scene provided medieval artists opportunities to depict demonic cunning rather than mere brutality. Here, a small demon attempts to influence judgment by pressing upon the scale’s arm—an act of fraud rather than force. De Brailes’ characteristic style appears in the demon’s expressive face: almost comic desperation mingles with malevolence. This lighter touch distinguished English illumination from the more austere Continental traditions. The architectural setting—suggesting the judgment throne—employs linear perspective experiments predating Italian developments. The demon operates within ordered space, emphasizing that even infernal interference cannot ultimately disrupt divine judgment.
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