The Circle of the Traitors; Dante's Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate

1827

William Blake

Associated Names
William Blake

Artist, British, 1757 - 1827

This is a drawing of two figures standing amidst a surreal scene. The drawing portrays two cloaked figures standing in a landscape filled with partially submerged faces and bodies in what appears to be a body of water. The two figures are depicted with delicate features and long robes, and they seem to be observing the individuals trapped in the water below them. The surrounding water is drawn with lines to imply movement or the texture of the surface. Several figures are submerged, their faces showing expressions of distress or despair. A rocky formation with faces sculpted into it stands in the background, adding to the eerie and otherworldly atmosphere of the scene. The entire composition uses fine lines and detail to create a ghostly and ethereal mood.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 35 × 50.2 cm (13 3/4 × 19 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.5401

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Bindman 1978, no. 653

  • Series Title

    Dante's "Divine Comedy": pl.7 ("Inferno," canto XXXII)


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1978

  • Bindman, David. The Complete Graphic Works of William Blake. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.

Wikidata ID

Q65026670

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