Hell: The Grafters in a River of Boiling Pitch (Canto XXII) 1491

Curator: This is an intriguing page; it holds an anonymous illustration, "Hell: The Grafters in a River of Boiling Pitch (Canto XXII)" from an edition of Dante’s *Inferno*. Editor: The density of text around the central image gives it the feeling of a hidden narrative struggling to break free. The boiling river is especially striking. Curator: It’s a woodcut, allowing for the mass production and dissemination of Dante's vision. Notice how the engraver uses cross-hatching to create depth. Editor: The symbolic weight of pitch as a punishment for corruption is quite clever. I see figures being tormented—a powerful visual indictment. Curator: Indeed, it reflects the Florentine political landscape of Dante's time. The grafters, or those who accepted bribes, were seen as deeply damaging to the republic. Editor: This reminds us that art, even illustrative art, can be deeply enmeshed with and reflective of the social and political concerns of its time. Curator: Precisely. It’s a potent reminder of the enduring power of visual imagery to embody cultural critique.