The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent 1827

William Blake etched 'The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent' using a copper plate, creating an image dominated by swirling forms within a subterranean space. The monochromatic reddish-brown hue saturates the scene, intensifying the drama and emotional weight. The composition is structured around dynamic contrasts: the human figures, some contorted in agony, others observing, are set against the flowing, almost liquid backdrop. Blake's use of line—thin, energetic, and deeply etched—defines the contours and textures, animating the figures. The serpent coils around Buoso Donati, becoming a focal point of transformation and punishment. Blake's formal arrangement suggests a world where bodies, like identities, are unstable, subject to change and corruption. The image's power lies in its engagement with Dante's vision of Hell, but also in how Blake uses formal elements to destabilize conventional notions of the body. It's an image of damnation but also artistic innovation where form serves not just to depict but to challenge fixed meanings.