Within a dark forest: Dante by Blake: rarely seen illustrations of the Divine ComedyDante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy (completed in 1321) is widely considered the greatest work composed in the
Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature. On the surface, the poem describes Dante’s travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; but at a deeper level, it represents the soul’s
journey towards God.In the last few years of his life, Romantic poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827) produced 102 illustrations for Dante’s masterwork, from pencil sketches to finished
watercolors. Like Dante’s sweeping poem, Blake’s drawings range from scenes of suffering to light, from horrifying human disfigurement to the perfection of physical form. While faithful to the
text, Blake also brought his own perspective to bear on some of Dante’s central themes, introducing his own elements of understanding to such vast ideas as sin, guilt, punishment, revenge, and
salvation.Today, Blake’s illustrations, left in various stages of completion at the time of his death, are dispersed among seven different institutions. This new edition brings the images
together once again, alongside excerpts from Dante’s masterpiece, in a stunning pairing of two of the finest artistic talents in history. Also included are an introduction to the Divine Comedy
and an analysis of Blake’s illustrations.
