Amazing 19th Century Illustrations for Dante’s Divine Comedy
Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy holds an important place in the pantheon of world literature. The divine comedy is an epic poem written between 1308 until his death in 1322. It is widely considered the preeminent work in Italian literature and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature. The poem’s imaginative and allegorical vision of the afterlife is divided into three parts: Inferno (hell), Purgatorio (purgatory), and Paradiso (heaven). The poem features Dante, and his guide, Virgil, who accompanies him on his journey. What Dante witnesses is both shocking and enlightening.
Counltess artists have been inspired by Dante’s visionary work, but the best known artist to illustrate the unearthly tale was Gustave Doré whose gorgeous folio was published in 1861. Jean-Édouard Dargent was a rival of Dore’s and also published a book of illustrations in 1870 for Dante’s masterpiece. These are Dargent’s hauntingly beautiful illustrations.