The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent. Inferno, canto XXV

The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent. Inferno, canto XXV is a powerful, late work created by William Blake English, 1757-1827, completed in the final year of his life. This extraordinary illustration, intended for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, is classified as a print. Blake executed the image using the complex technique of engraving, which was then hand-colored, and printed on delicate India paper, laid down on wove paper—a process known as chine collé. The use of this method allowed Blake to achieve fine detail and striking color luminosity, enhancing the dramatic and terrifying subject matter.

The specific subject directly interprets Canto XXV of Dante’s Inferno, depicting the seventh bolgia of the Eighth Circle, reserved for the punishment of thieves. In this chaotic composition, Blake visually captures the violent, shape-shifting transformations of the damned, who are continuously attacked by venomous serpents. The focus of the scene is the attack upon Buoso Donati, who is shown being merged with the serpent that assaults him—a gruesome, transformative punishment resulting in the complete loss of human form.

Blake’s career spanned decades in England, and his unique, visionary interpretations of scriptural and literary texts profoundly influenced subsequent generations of artists. Though this comprehensive series of illustrations for Dante was left unfinished at the time of his death, the resulting prints represent one of the most ambitious projects of Blake’s late career. This important impression of The Circle of the Thieves is part of the notable collection of prints and drawings held by the Art Institute of Chicago.