The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca by William Blake; Harry Hoehn, created in 1827, is a profound print capturing one of the most tragic episodes in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. The composition illustrates the figures of the eternally damned lovers, Paolo and Francesca, as they are swept up in the violent, ceaseless winds of the second circle of hell, reserved for the sin of lust. This scene is famously derived from Canto V of the epic poem, where the two figures recount their story of love and betrayal to Dante. The print captures the profound despair and emotional intensity of their shared fate, characteristic of Blake’s unique approach to literary illustration.
Classified as a British Print from the period spanning 1826 to 1850, the work’s medium is an engraving. This specific impression is notable as a restrike taken before the copper plate underwent the final cleaning process, providing specialized insight into the stages of production. While the original design belongs to the legendary William Blake, the plate preparation and subsequent production involved the efforts of artists such as Hoehn. Blake created these illustrations late in his career, using the density and stark contrast inherent in the engraving medium to articulate the darkness and moral weight of Dante’s vision.
The turbulent energy typical of Blake’s visualizations of the Inferno is vividly rendered in this piece, which focuses intently on the entwined and suffering forms of the figures, enveloped in relentless motion. Due to its age and cultural significance, this artwork stands as a pivotal example of British printmaking in the early nineteenth century. This fine example of the engraving, The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca, is housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, contributing significantly to their holdings of period prints. As a historically important masterwork, reproductions of this engraving are frequently made available to researchers and the public under public domain guidelines.
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