The Circle of the Lustful

Title

The Circle of the Lustful

Student Commentary:

This engraving from Illustrations of Dante (1978 facsimile) is Blake’s representation of a moment during Dante’s progress through the second circle of Hell, or Lust, in the Divine Comedy. His guide, Virgil, shows Dante the souls of those who have sinned through passion and who are forever trapped in a “Whirlwind of Lovers,” as this image is also called. Dante has fainted on the grass out of compassion. Blake took a dynamic approach to visualizing this circle of Hell. It is much more subdued and less gruesome than the late circles of Hell that he depicts.

Links:

Detailed View of Image at the William Blake Archive

About this Book

Source

William Blake@Union Digital Collection