print
- Museum number
- 1968,1214.28
- Description
-
Subject from Dante's "Inferno", the circle of the lustful, canto 5; the whirlwind of lovers; to the right, the figure of Dante lying face up on a grassy bank, Virgil standing beside him; above, Paolo and Francesca kissing in a sphere of light; Paolo and Francesca also appearing in a separate flame in the centre; below and to the left, waves, and the figures of adulterous lovers caught up in a whirlwind; 1968 edition. 1827
Engraving and etching
- Production date
- 1827 ((printed posthumously in 1968))
- Dimensions
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Height: 279 millimetres
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Width: 354 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- From 1824 Blake made a series of over a hundred watercolour drawings based on Dante's "Divine Comedy". He intended to make a series of engravings illustrating the work, but only seven exist, all begun in 1827 and left unfinished on his death.
Most impressions were printed posthumously, except for a few contemporary proofs (reg. nos. 1929,0713.273 - 277). Posthumous editions were printed in 1838, c. 1892, 1954-55 and 1968. This impression is from the edition printed by Harry Hoehn in 1968 from the plates owned by Lessing J Rosenwald.
For impressions of Blake's Dante illustrations in the British Museum, see 1855,0414.462 - 468; 1929,0713.273 - 277; 1968,1214.25 - 31; 1969,0713.5.1 - 7. The British Museum also has drawings from the Dante series, although none of these correspond directly with the prints (for drawings that do correspond with the prints, held in other collections, see Butlin 1981, nos. 812-826).
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
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Associated Title: Divine Comedy (Commedia)
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Associated Title: Inferno
- Acquisition date
- 1968
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1968,1214.28