A succinct summary of Dante’s ascent of the mountain-island of Purgatory, with the best of the paintings from Blake to Rossetti.
Stillman
Just before he ascends to the terrestrial heaven on top of the island-mountain of Purgatory, Dante dreams of sisters Leah and Rachel, from the Bible.
4500 years of paintings of geese, from Rubens’ flock seen at harvest time, to Gauguin’s complement to his landlady. And some superb paintings of wild geese on the wing.
With a binder of gum arabic, watercolours came into use in the Renaissance, and have steadily increased in popularity.
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.
The seven painted stories, with paintings by Mei, Millais, Leighton, Botticelli, Stillman, and Lancret, and links to each article.
Tasso’s narrative is as complex and interwoven as these six leading characters, from the pious Godfrey to the scheming sorceress Armida.
One rich gent falls in love with another rich gent’s wife, but she isn’t interested in him. She comes up with a ploy to be rid of his attentions, which backfires, but ends up in two glorious paintings.
Set in a framing story of the Black Death striking Florence, its ten characters each tell ten stories over two weeks. Many fine paintings result.
The rescue of Rinaldo gets under way. Meanwhile he is making love with Armida in the perpetual spring of her garden. Superb paintings from Poussin, Tiepolo, Kauffman, Stillman, and others.
