Artwork

The Circle of the Traitors; Dante's Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate

The Circle of the Traitors; Dante's Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate is an ink print by the Romanticist artist William Blake. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The 1827 print titled *The Circle of the Traitors; Dante’s Foot Striking Bocca degli Abbate* is an engraving that was produced as a restrike during the later phase of its creator’s career. Executed in black and white, the image presents a turbulent, rocky setting in which a dominant figure delivers a kick to a prone man, while additional figures observe the action amidst a storm‑filled sky.

Subject & Meaning

The scene is drawn from the ninth circle of Dante Alighieri’s *Divine Comedy*, where the traitor Bocca degli Abbati suffers punishment among the frozen sinners. The central figure, representing Dante, strikes the traitor’s head, a visual metaphor for the poet’s moral condemnation of betrayal.

Technique & Style

The engraving employs dense cross‑hatching to generate deep shadows and a sense of texture across the rocky landscape and turbulent sky. The intersecting lines create a dramatic contrast that heightens the chaotic atmosphere and emphasizes the physical violence of the central action.

History & Provenance

Created by an artist who lived his entire life in London, apart from a three‑year residence in Felpham, the work belongs to a period when the creator was chiefly known as a poet, painter, and printmaker. Although the artist’s broader oeuvre was largely unacknowledged during his lifetime, this print forms part of his sustained engagement with Dante’s epic.

Context

The engraving reflects the artist’s fascination with literary subjects, particularly the moral and symbolic dimensions of Dante’s vision of Hell. It aligns with a series of works that explore the *Divine Comedy* and demonstrates the period’s interest in translating literary narratives into visual form.