The Fallen Angel of Wrath

This is the fifth entry in a series of seven photo-manipulated graphics I created a while back that I called "The Fallen Angels of Sin." The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, though they are more emphasized within Roman Catholicism. Behaviors or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. Wrath (ira in Latin) can be defined as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage, and even hatred. Wrath sometimes reveals itself in the wish to seek vengeance. In its purest form, wrath presents with injury, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of wrath can manifest in different ways, including impatience, hateful misanthropy, revenge, and self-destructive behavior such as drug abuse. According to the Bible, the emotion of anger (which is not sinful, as Jesus got angry and yet was sinless) becomes the sin of wrath when it is directed against an innocent person, when it is unduly strong or long-lasting, or when it desires excessive punishment. Wrath most often manifests via hatred, which is the sin of desiring that someone else may suffer misfortune or evil. In her introduction to Purgatorio, Dorothy L. Sayers describes wrath as a "love of justice perverted to revenge and spite." I chose to illustrate my 'Seven Deadly Sins' series by selecting stock photos of beautiful women wearing stunning formal dresses because I felt that the beauty of both the women and the gowns could serve as an allegory illustrating the fact that sin always appears to be deceptively wonderful, beautiful, or fun on the outside, but rots the soul once it has been indulged in. This artwork was created using stock photos that I purchased from Adobe Stock and downloaded with permission from various stock artists on deviantART. I have since left that site in favor of this one.