In the making...

Have you ever heard of Dante Alighieri and his Divina Commedia? I guess you have, since it is one of the masterpieces of European literature. I am actually working on a huge project, a comission work which will go to Florence, Italy (where else, Florence is Dantes hometown after all...), and has exactly this oevre of divine poetry as a theme. The work consists of 5 huge pieces, painted in oil on canvas, which will decorate a room in a tavern.

A real challenge, which made me go back to reread the fine book and do some old school research (mainly discovering Roberto Benigni reciting Dante on youTube... go check it out!).

The first part is almost finished, illustrating the first scene of the poem, where Dante describes his erring in a dark forest. Trying to leave the forest three animals appear, which try to push him back in the unfriendly dark place: a lion, a wolf and a panther. But in the light of the morning sun, Vergil appears and invites Dante to a "tour through hell", the Inferno.

I am actually working on the frames for the canvas for part 2 and 3, which will contain all of the Inferno as described by Dante. And there is a lot to be considered in this illustration, many details, his explicit description of all the layers of the cone-sized whole in the earth, the many historical and mythical personages - more or less known - Dante encounters on this way down... I just hope, the size of the two (178x220cm each) will be enough to include all of it.

I'll keep you updated.