the colorful flowery garment of the - guillotined

Engraving by Enea Vico

I can easily think of the devil, the true reversed world of the divine world, the great world-shadow which marks off the counters of the light body, as the greatest humorist and "whimsical man!"  But as the arabesque of an arabesque, he would be far too unaesthetic; his laugh would have too much pain; it would be like the colorful flowery garment of the - guillotined.

Jean Paul, Vorschule der Aesthetik 1804