The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca

The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca by William Blake, executed in 1827, is a profound and expressive example of the British Romantic artist's late career engagement with classical literature. This highly detailed engraving depicts the harrowing scene from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Canto V, where the souls condemned for succumbing to lust are eternally punished by being swept by a ceaseless, violent whirlwind. Blake focuses specifically on the tragic figures of Paolo and Francesca da Rimini, the famous literary lovers whose adulterous kiss led to their murder and subsequent damnation.

Created during the productive period spanning 1826 to 1850, this print showcases Blake’s distinctive mastery of the demanding technique of engraving, utilizing sharp lines and dynamic hatching to create deep shadows and emotional intensity. His signature, visionary style is immediately recognizable, featuring figures rendered in idealized, muscular forms that emphasize spiritual and emotional drama. The turbulent, chaotic arrangement of figures swept up in the tempest successfully conveys the spiritual horror that Blake consistently brought to his illustrations of religious and literary texts. Blake’s visual interpretation of the damned souls clinging to one another while being violently buffeted reflects his unique contribution to British printmaking of the era.

This specific print belongs to a renowned series of illustrations Blake produced late in his life, intended to accompany an edition of Dante’s epic poem. Although many of these prints were not widely published until after the artist’s death, the work continues to be studied for its technical brilliance and profound psychological depth. As a key visual record of Blake's imaginative powers, the original engraving, The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca, is maintained in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to its cultural importance and classification as a historical print, high-resolution images of this unique work are widely available through public domain resources for scholars and enthusiasts alike.