The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo

The Circle of the Corrupt Officials; the Devils Tormenting Ciampolo by William Blake, created in 1827, stands as a powerful example of British Romantic printmaking. This dramatic scene is executed as an engraving, showcasing the intense, linear quality characteristic of Blake’s late style. The image depicts a highly specific moment from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Canto XXII, where Ciampolo, a barrator (a corrupt official guilty of bribery), is captured and tortured by the demons known as the Malebranche in the fifth bolgia of the eighth circle of Hell.

As one of the last major works completed before the artist’s death, the engraving reflects Blake's unique spiritual intensity and his enduring commitment to visionary subject matter. Executed during the period spanning 1826 to 1850, this piece belongs to a series of illustrations commissioned for Dante's Divine Comedy, though many illustrations remained unfinished. Blake’s mastery of the medium is evident in the sharp delineation of the figures and the swirling, chaotic energy used to depict the frantic confrontation between the damned soul and his tormentors. This deeply theological and political subject, focusing on corruption and moral failure, resonated strongly within the intellectual climate of the British artistic scene of the era.

The technical precision required for this ambitious print underscores Blake’s lifelong engagement with the demanding craft of engraving. Today, this powerful work is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The classification as a print makes the imagery highly accessible, and due to its age and historical significance, reproductions of this British masterwork are often found through public domain archives.