Description
Although Blake labored in poverty and obscurity all his life, he’s recognized as of late as one of the crucial preeminent artists and poets of the English-speaking world. An 1825 commission from patron John Linnell enabled him to concentrate on illustrating Dante’s tales — the kind of visionary work to which his talents were ideally suited. The artist spent the last three years of his life creating these images, which range from completely finished pieces to rough sketches. Blake’s highly original approach offers not only a very good introduction to Dante’s allegorical tales, but also a new and fresh standpoint for those already acquainted with the Divine Comedy.