The Second Circle of Hell, in which those whose sin was lust are blown by eternal storms. The story of Paolo and Francesca, and many wonderful paintings.
narrative
Dante awakes in Limbo, the outermost part of Hell reserved for those whose only failing was that they lived before the Christian era. An opportunity for self-promotion.
Dante and Virgil enter Hell, where they first encounter the souls of those too cowardly to choose between God and the Devil. Then it’s time for a boat trip with Charon.
His later pastels are particularly sublime, with high chroma and mythical stories, include a drunken man being loaded onto a donkey.
In which Dante is terrified by three wild animals and meets the ghost of Virgil. Together they make their way to the gates of Hell.
After painting portraits of the Pope during his second visit to Italy, he returns to paint the king’s niece and new bride, Las Meninas, and his last myth.
Two superb series of paintings of scenes from Goethe’s Faust Part One, by Ary Scheffer and James Tissot.
Joseph-Nicolas taught his son Tony, who like his father was an academic history painter with a taste for human disasters. He also taught at the Académie Julian in Paris.
This new series will travel with Dante and Virgil as they visit Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, looking at the many masterworks inspired by the poem.
Is it just a quirky re-telling of the myth of Arachne and her weaving contest? What do the foreground and background have in common? A superb visual riddle, perhaps.
The Eclectic Light Company 