Canto XVI. The Third Cornice / The Wrathful; Marco Lombardo c. 15th century

Curator: Here we have an illustration from an early edition of Dante’s Purgatorio, specifically Canto XVI, printed anonymously. Editor: Ooh, it has a stark, haunting quality! The figures, so linear and spare, feel trapped in this dense, claustrophobic space. Curator: Indeed. The woodcut technique lends itself to the themes of penance and spiritual blindness within the canto. Notice how the artist uses hatching to suggest shadow and volume. Editor: It's as if the figures are emerging from a dark fog or wading through a miasma of anger. The composition traps them, like Dante's wrathful. Curator: Precisely. The lack of detail forces us to focus on the figures' postures and gestures, suggesting a collective suffering and disorientation. Editor: I find it interesting how the landscape behind is barely visible. It’s there but shrouded, mirroring their limited perspective. Curator: The image really encapsulates the purgatorial experience: a slow, arduous ascent out of darkness. Editor: I'm left thinking about the transformative power of acknowledging one's own limitations. This little illustration packs such a punch, so simple but profound.