The Circle of the Thieves; Buoso Donati Attacked by the Serpent

Blake employed fine, incised lines to render movement and tension, characteristic of his relief etching method. The stormy sky and jagged terrain are built from dense, swirling strokes, while the figures’ forms are sharply defined against the chaotic background. The serpent’s muscular coils and the subtle suggestion of a seated figure in its tail reveal Blake’s skill in embedding multiple layers of meaning within a single contour. His use of line conveys both physical struggle and metaphysical unease.

The engraving was part of a set of illustrations Blake began in 1824 for Dante’s Divine Comedy, a project he pursued until his death in August 1827. Only a few plates were completed and printed during his lifetime; this image was among those struck posthumously from his original copper plates. The restrikes were made under the supervision of his wife, Catherine, and later collectors, preserving his vision despite his inability to finish the series.

Blake’s Dante illustrations emerged during a period of intense spiritual and artistic reflection, as he sought to reconcile his mystical beliefs with classical literature. Unlike contemporaries who favored naturalism, Blake interpreted Dante’s hell as a psychological landscape. His visual language drew from medieval iconography, Renaissance composition, and his own symbolic system, positioning the work at the intersection of religious vision and literary exegesis.

Though incomplete, Blake’s Dante series expanded the possibilities of printmaking as a vehicle for visionary art. His engravings influenced later Symbolist and mystical artists who valued inner meaning over literal representation. The restrikes ensured wider circulation of his ideas, cementing his reputation as a unique bridge between poetry, theology, and graphic art in the 19th century.