Devil in the detail – Follow the little devil’s footsteps and find more than just details

At this level, the work is bedevilled by more than detail problems. But what does this saying even mean? It suggests that something has not been thought through thoroughly, or unforeseen ‘supposed’ trivialities have major impacts on the result. These associations have brought the devil into play, with the mischievous nature attributed to him. We cannot say with certainty where the saying originated. It is assumed that the German version can be traced back to Goethe’s Faust. In the well-known tragedy, Dr Faust makes a deal with the devil Mephisto, without understanding the details and consequences that will affect him in the future. In his deliberations on early Renaissance art, art historian Warburg wondered whether God, not the devil, is in the details, as he saw them more as something important and beautiful. That gives the detailed positive connotations. However, Warburg’s approach unfortunately did not establish itself. In spite of his deliberations, the devil still has not been banished from this context today. Probably because too much meticulousness and precision are still generally seen as a negative, as evidenced by words like ‘narrow-minded’, ‘petty’ and ‘painstaking’. Perhaps, in certain situations, it is like a useful excuse when you have overlooked a detail yourself, causing unforeseen consequences. Then we magnanimously place the blame squarely on the unpredictable devil.

We want to combine the two here – and would welcome your help. For if we have nothing to fear from the devil, it can be fun to look for one. Especially as we have given him such a beautiful new outfit. But see for yourself...