The Circle of Traitors: Alberti Brothers (from Dante's "Divine Comedy") 1824 - 1827

Curator: Oh, what a chilling scene! Blake's "The Circle of Traitors," inspired by Dante, just pierces through with its raw desolation. Editor: It's instantly claustrophobic, isn't it? Those figures trapped in ice… like emotional fossils encased in a glacial tomb. Curator: The image seems to be less about literal damnation and more about the self-imposed prisons we create through betrayal. See the Alberti brothers? They're physically stuck, yes, but look at those masks... symbols of deceit and hidden intentions, forever frozen in shame. Blake's line work, though delicate, carves out their agony. Editor: And that ice – it's more than just cold; it's a barrier, silencing their cries, freezing their expressions. It carries the weight of all those broken bonds, all that distrust crystallised into something impenetrable. Curator: You know, Blake saw Dante as a kindred spirit, a fellow visionary wrestling with morality. He used these illustrations to unpack not just Dante’s poem but also his own profound sense of right and wrong. The muted palette actually amplifies the intense emotion, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It whispers of a world drained of warmth, a soulscape where forgiveness is a forgotten word. Gives you chills just contemplating it.