Canto II, Verse 471
1803
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
William Blake
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker.
See the richer artist page1803
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Canto II, Verse 471 is a 1803 ink by William Blake, a Romanticism work, depicting Prayer, held at National Gallery of Art.
Blake’s engraving shows a robed figure kneeling in dark woods, head bowed. This isn’t just a book illustration—it’s the moment Dante meets Virgil before their trip through Hell. The lines are sharp and scratchy, like the point of an etching needle dragged across metal. Look at the tree behind them. Its bark is carved with tiny letters. You can almost hear Blake’s chisel biting into the plate. Try this next: Blake, William
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker.
See the richer artist page
