The Divine Comedy

“The Divine Comedy” by Dante is among the few truly encyclopedic works of world literature. Following the path of Dante and Virgil, we learn about life in Italy at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, gain information about literature, mythology, and cosmogony, but we also find in the “Comedy” poetic descriptions of love, beautiful lines dedicated to nature, and philosophical reflections on life. Five centuries after the publication of the “Comedy,” English artist William Blake created illustrations that fully allow one to feel the depth of this work. His watercolors go beyond depicting episodes from Dante's poem into the realm of mythology and the comprehension of existence. The immortal lines of the great Italian are read deeper and more fully in conjunction with the watercolors of the brilliant English master.