The Divine Comedy has been a source of inspiration to artists since it was written more than seven centuries ago. This exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (9 April–16 July) explores the enduring influence of Dante’s epic narrative, which charts the poet’s journey through hell, purgatory and paradise, with 20 works from the museum’s collection. Beginning with an Allegorical Portrait of Dante, painted in Florence in the 16th century, the show also includes rare early printed editions of the poem and sculptures created by Auguste Rodin for his monumental project The Gates of Hell, including The Thinker (model 1880; cast 1901). A black pen-and-ink drawing (c. 1821) by the Austrian neoclassicist Joseph Anton Koch shows Dante and his guide, the Roman poet Virgil, riding on the back of the monster Geryon, while later works include the watercolour and collage Drawings for Dante’s 700 Birthday I.B. 1965 by Robert Rauschenberg. Find out more on the NGA’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
The Thinker (1880/1901), Auguste Rodin. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C
Allegorical Portrait of Dante (c. 16th century), Florentine artist. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Dante Meditating on the ‘Divine Comedy’ (1843), Jean-Jacques Feuchère. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Dante and Virgil Riding on the Back of Geryon (c. 1821), Joseph Anton Koch. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.