PIA IN PURGATORY

Original 9 3/4 inch x 7 3/4 inch Engraving titled PIA IN PURGATORY.

Dante passing through Purgatory with his guide, the Mantuan, meets with several spirits who, though thery had deferred their repenteance till they were suddenly overtaken by a violent death, were yet allowed sufficient time to make a saving profession of faith. Amongst these are Giacopo del Cassero, Buonconte da Montefeltro, and Pia, a lady of Sienna. The story of Pia is one of the tragedies of Italian medieval history. The lady is said to have been of the family of Tolommei, and was taken by her husband, Nella della Pietra, to perish in the marshes of the Maremma, from motives of jealousy.

Illustration by Gustave Doré (1832 – 1883). The most popular and successful French book illustrator of the middle of the 19th century. Doré became widely known for his illustrations to such books as Danté’s Inferno (1861), Don Quixote (1862), and the Bible (1866), and he helped to give European currency to the illustrated book of large format. He was so prolific that at one time he employed more than forty wood engravers. His work is characterized by an eclectic mix of Michelangelesque nudes, northern traditions of sublime landscape, and a highly spirited love of the grotesque and bizarre.

Doré began work on his illustrations for the Divine Comedy in 1855 at a time when there was a renewed interest in Dante in France. Doré himself financed the publication of the Inferno in 1861 and this was so successful that the Purgatory and Paradise were published by Hachette in 1868 as a single volume. Subsequently, Doré’s Dante illustrations appeared in roughly 200 editions in many languages.

Engraved by Auguste Trichon (1814 -1898) a French wood engraver and Gaston Monvoisin (1821 – 1906).

Illustration for Dante Alighieri’s “The Divine Comedy” widely considered to be the preeminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. This illustration is from Paradiso.

This edition from Cassell’s ‘Doré Gallery’ published in 1885.

Page size 12 1/4 inch x 9 1/8 inch

The engraving is in very good condition. Reverse side blank.