Original artwork, not a still
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790-3) 'Proverbs of Hell'
He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The proverb compares desire without action to the breeding of disease. That severe metaphor makes passivity sound corrosive rather than harmless. Read as a challenge to frustrated longing, it urges a connection between wanting and doing, without specifying what action would be appropriate.
Context reviewed
