The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca

The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca by William Blake, executed between 1820 and 1832, is a profound engraving that forms part of the artist’s extensive, late series illustrating Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. This print depicts the damned caught in the relentless tempest of the Second Circle, where those overcome by carnal desires are eternally buffeted by the wind as their punishment.

Blake’s interpretation centers on the narrative of the tragic lovers, Paolo and Francesca da Rimini, who are shown embracing as they are swept into the vortex. The complex engraving technique employed by Blake creates a sense of chaotic movement through dense line work and dramatic contrast. The work emphasizes the suffering of the damned, with numerous figures, both men and women, entangled and swirling around the central couple. The powerful rendering of several distressed figures, some of which are depicted as female nudes, illustrates the emotional and physical intensity of their eternal punishment under the divine judgment.

As one of Blake's final artistic projects, this series demonstrates his highly spiritual and unconventional graphic style, utilizing the demanding medium of the printmaker to achieve powerful visual effects. Though many of the plates were left unfinished at the time of the artist's death in 1827, the finished prints offer key insight into the Romantic era's engagement with classical literature. These significant works, now often in the public domain, continue to be studied globally. This specific impression of The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca is held within the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.