Inferno, Canto XVIII 1480

"Inferno, Canto XVIII" is a 1480 drawing by Sandro Botticelli, depicting a scene from Dante's *Inferno*. The scene is set in the eighth circle of hell, where the fraudulent are punished. It shows the poet Dante, accompanied by Virgil, witnessing the torment of the souls trapped within. Botticelli's style in this work, with its fine lines and delicate shading, is characteristic of his early drawings. His interest in Dante's *Divine Comedy* is well documented, and this drawing reflects his fascination with the power of the written word to create vivid and lasting imagery.