Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy holds an important place in the pantheon of world literature. Countless artists have been inspired by Dante’s allegorical, visionary work, which describes the Italian poet’s journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven.
Perhaps the best-known artist to adapt Dante’s unearthly tale was Gustave Doré, whose gorgeous folio was published in 1861. Jean-Édouard Dargent (aka Yan’ Dargent) was a rival of Doré’s and also published a book of illustrations (in 1870) detailing Dante’s epic poem. Where Doré’s work featured polished, classical nudes and exquisite line work, Dargent’s felt more primitive, violent, and a little rough around the edges. Blog Monster Brains published Dargent’s prints from the Divine Comedy series, which we feature in our gallery. The details are incredible.
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent
Image credit: Jean-Édouard Dargent