Scene from the Inferno (canto IX)

William Etty

Associated Names
William Etty

Artist, British, 1787 - 1849

The image shows ethereal and earthly figures in a dynamic scene. Two winged, celestial beings interact with human figures in a turbulent sea. Additional figures are struggling, possibly within waves. One figure observes from the right. The illustration uses flowing lines and stark contrasts to convey movement and emotion, suggesting themes of struggle, observation, and the celestial versus mortal realms.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and black ink with gray wash

  • Credit Line

    Julius S. Held Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 25.8 x 20.4 cm (10 3/16 x 8 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1985.1.31

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Julius S. Held [1905-2002], by 1970; gift 1985 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1970

  • Selections from the Drawing Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Julius S. Held, University Art Gallery, State University of New York at Binghamton; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, MA; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Ackland Memorial Art Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of Notre Dame Art Gallery, Notre Dame, IN; Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH; and Vassar College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1970, no. 10, repro.

2023

  • Going through Hell: The Divine Dante, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2023.

Inscriptions

lower left in black ink: Inferno Canto IX; lower center in graphite: "Tres furie infernal di sangue tinte / che membra femmine aveano ed atto,"; upper left verso: Ref: (10); uRv//in graphite: 44 / W / L

Wikidata ID

Q64636764

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