The Circle of the Traitors; Dante's Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate

The engraving The Circle of the Traitors; Dante's Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate, created by William Blake in 1827, is a powerful visual interpretation derived from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. This work, classified as a print, represents the culmination of Blake's late-career engagement with classical literature and serves as a profound example of British Romantic illustration.

The specific moment depicted is derived from Canto XXXII of the Inferno. Dante, traversing the frozen lake of Cocytus, the realm reserved for betrayers of kin and country, unknowingly kicks the head of the Florentine Guelph Bocca degli Abbati, whose face juts tragically from the ice. Blake masterfully captures the dynamic energy of this confrontation. The upright, muscular figure of the pilgrim contrasts sharply with the anguished, partially buried figure of the traitor, emphasizing the brutal moral hierarchy of the underworld.

As an engraving produced within the 1826 to 1850 period, this piece demonstrates Blake’s characteristic linear precision and dramatic use of chiaroscuro, vital for rendering the bleak, icy depths of Dante’s vision. Blake’s complete series of Dante illustrations, though unfinished at his death, is considered among his most profound achievements, cementing his legacy as a visionary artist.

This particular print, part of the National Gallery of Art collection, showcases the enduring influence of medieval epic poetry on 19th-century sensibility. Given its age and cultural significance, this celebrated work is often available for study and reproduction as part of the growing volume of prints accessible through the public domain.