Agnello de Brunelleschi of Florence Being Transformed into a Serpent (from Dante's "Divine Comedy") 1824 - 1827

Curator: Blake's watercolor, "Agnello de Brunelleschi of Florence Being Transformed into a Serpent," presents a striking vision of metamorphosis. The composition seems dominated by the sheer physicality of the central figure. Editor: Visually, it's unsettling, almost nightmarish. The distorted figure and lurid colors certainly evoke a feeling of profound unease, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Absolutely. Blake's work often critiques power structures, and this piece, illustrating a scene from Dante's Inferno, suggests the corrosive effects of corruption on the individual. The serpent, a common symbol, here represents spiritual degradation. Editor: But look closer at the form; the sinuous lines echoing through the body, culminating in that grotesque, multi-headed transformation. It's a powerful display of Blake’s symbolic system, rendered in fluid watercolor. Curator: Indeed, it’s a reflection of societal anxieties regarding moral decay and the potential for transformation, or perhaps devolution, as embodied in this disturbing image. Editor: It leaves one contemplating the darker aspects of human nature and the forces that shape our collective destiny. A memorable image, to say the least.