The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent is a powerful engraving created by the visionary British artist, William Blake, in 1827. This work belongs to a significant series of illustrations Blake produced late in his life for Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. Executed near the end of the period spanning 1826 to 1850, this piece exemplifies Blake’s unique visual interpretation of complex theological and mythological narratives. As a master of line and form, Blake translates Dante’s harrowing account of the Eighth Circle of Hell, where thieves suffer grotesque transformations, into a stark, densely composed image.
The scene depicted captures a moment of terrifying metamorphosis detailed in Canto XXV of the Inferno. The composition centers on Buoso Donati, one of the noble Florentine thieves, being viciously attacked by a six-footed serpent, signifying the violent theft of identity and the punishment reserved for those who violate trust. Blake emphasizes the chaotic horror of the scene through his intense, energetic use of line, characteristic of his mature style. The technical precision required for engraving allows Blake to achieve deep shadows and highlights, enhancing the drama of the spiritual confrontation. Though profoundly spiritual, Blake’s work remained grounded in the practicalities of printmaking, and the surviving state of this piece confirms the technical rigor he brought to the medium.
This particular impression of The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent is held in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it contributes to a comprehensive representation of British art history. Blake’s illustrations for Dante, though sometimes deemed too idiosyncratic by contemporary critics, are now celebrated as landmarks of European Romanticism. Their historical significance and age mean that high-resolution images of these seminal prints are frequently made available through public domain resources, ensuring continued scholarly access to Blake’s final, ambitious project.
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