Blake was a book engraver by trade, and in 1824 John Linnell commissioned him to make a series of engravings to illustrate Dante's Divine Comedy. Blake seems to have produced 102 watercolour drafts (all from the Inferno) and then decided to engrave from 7 of these.
Blake never finished the engravings, and there is little sign of any influence from Dante in Blake's own work.
Dante was intensely Roman Catholic and very much a humanist: his ideas probably didn't appeal much to the protestant and medieval imagination of Blake.
Dante Alighieri and William Blake did not have a direct relationship as they lived in different time periods. However, Blake was influenced by Dante's writing, particularly his "Divine Comedy," and created illustrations for it in his own works. Blake admired Dante's visionary power and incorporated elements of his work into his own unique style of art and poetry.
William Blake
Doré depicts Dante and Virgil as traditional heroic characters, while Blake's characters are more childlike.
Virgil and Dante's confrontation with demons Demons threatening to attack Virgil and Dante
Doré depicts Dante and Virgil as traditional heroic characters, while Blake's characters are more childlike.
Brother and sister.
Dore's illustrations create a nightmarish mood, while blake's illustrations portray a dreamy mood.
Doré depicts Dante and Virgil as traditional heroic characters, while Blake's characters are more childlike. Doré's illustrations depict characters and settings in a realistic way, while Blake's illustrations show a more unrealistic and stylized version of the story.
Both Gustave Doré and William Blake depict the scene where Dante and Virgil encounter the souls in the circle of the lustful in Canto V of Dante's "Inferno." This scene features the doomed lovers Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta being swept up in a whirlwind for eternity as punishment for their sin of lust.
In "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri, Dante encounters Vergil, a Roman poet and his guide through the circles of Hell. Vergil symbolizes reason and wisdom, guiding Dante through the moral and spiritual journey of the underworld, representing the importance of intellect and virtue in navigating life's challenges. The relationship between Dante and Vergil is one of mentorship and guidance, with Vergil serving as a spiritual guide and teacher to Dante.
Doré's Illustrations create a nightmarish mood, while Blake's Illustrations portrays a dreamy mood. :)
In William Blake's illustration, he depicts the demons as hybrid creatures, embodying both human and animalistic features. The demons are portrayed with twisted, contorted bodies, emphasizing their grotesque and menacing nature. Blake's use of dramatic lighting and dynamic composition further enhances the fear-inducing presence of the demons in the artwork.
Dore's illustrations create a nightmarish mood, while blake's illustrations portray a dreamy mood.