Dante And Virgil in Hell: An Analysis of the Religious Dimensions of an Artwork

Abstract

This article explores different religious dimensions and interpretations in artworks. The interpretation of The Divine Comedy, written in the fourteenth century by Dante Alighieri, and the effects his work had in later centuries via an investigation of the work William-Adolphe Bouguereau, who was inspired by Dante. Through the threads of their shared Catholic faiths, an exploration into how “religious art” (be it literature or painting) has not only changed over the centuries, but also how it continues to inspire, and to share common themes and attitudes is umdertaken. These common themes are at the crux of this artwork, as both Dante and Bouguereau exist in two very different periods of time, and yet are seemingly linked through shared beliefs that beauty can and should be an inspiration, and can express profound truths.