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A drawing of a robed figure standing above a group of men on the ground with their arms raised.

A drawing of a robed figure standing above a group of men kneeling on the ground. The standing figure looks towards the men on the ground while holding something in its hands. The men on the ground have ornate headwear and wear robes and have bags around their necks, one with a duck on it. They hold their arms in the air and have uncomfortable expressions. Two are bearded and one wears a cross around his neck. The man with the cross has red pigment in his mouth while the rest of the drawing is only in black ink.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.659
People
William Blake, British (London, England 1757 - 1827 London, England)
Title
Dante and the Usurers (from Dante's "Divine Comedy")
Other Titles
Alternate Title: The Usurers
Series/Book Title: Dante, "The Divine Comedy"
Classification
Drawings
Work Type
drawing
Date
1824-1827
Culture
British
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/297553

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Graphite, black ink, gray wash, black chalk, and watercolor on off-white antique laid paper
Dimensions
36.8 × 52.3 cm (14 1/2 × 20 9/16 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: ur: Hell Canto 17

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Grenville Lindall Winthrop, New York, bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1943
































































































































Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.659
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Martin Butlin, The Paintings and Drawings of William Blake, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT and London, England, 1981), no. 812 (30)
  • David Bindman, William Blake: The Divine Comedy/Die göttliche Komödie/La divine comédie, Bibliothèque de l'Image (Paris, 2000), pl. 32 (color)

Related Works

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu