The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent

The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent is a powerful illustration created by William Blake in 1827. This work, categorized as Technical Material, was executed using an engraved copper plate, a challenging medium that Blake frequently employed late in his career. The subject derives from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, specifically Canto XXV, depicting the dramatic and horrific punishments awaiting the thieves in the eighth circle of Hell. Here, the figure identified as Agnolo Brunelleschi is shown undergoing a terrifying transformation after being attacked by a monstrous six-footed serpent.

Created late in the Romantic period, this piece reflects Blake’s profound engagement with epic literature and his highly individual visionary aesthetic. As a leading British artist and poet working during the period 1826 to 1850, Blake brought intense dramatic flair and linear precision to the scenes of damnation. While serving as illustrations for a commissioned edition of Dante's work, these prints stand alone as potent representations of spiritual terror and moral collapse. The technical mastery demonstrated by Blake in transferring complex narrative scenes onto the copper plate showcases his unparalleled skill as an engraver.

Though commissioned late in his life, the cycle of Dante illustrations that includes The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent is considered among Blake's greatest achievements. This specific plate resides in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars critical insight into the artist's final years of production. Because of the enduring significance of this British masterwork, high-quality images and prints are often made available through public domain initiatives, allowing widespread access to the dramatic intensity of Blake's vision.