DANTE, VIRGIL, AND STATIUS APPROACHING THE GLUTTONS 1903 ANTIQUE ENGRAVING

Original 9 3/4 inch x 7 3/4 inch Engraving DANTE, VIRGIL, AND STATIUS APPROACHING THE GLUTTONS.

Publius Papinius Statius was a Roman poet of the 1st century AD. He is also known for his appearance as a guide in the Purgatory section of Dante's epic poem, the Divine Comedy where they leave the Fifth Terrace (reserved for the avaricious and the prodigal) and enter the Sixth (reserved for the gluttonous).

Text below the image: ”And who are those twain spirits, that escort thee there? Be it not said thou scorn’st to talk with me.” Canto XXIII., lines 47, 49.

Engraved by Adolphe François Pannemaker (1822 - 1900). Wood engraver. Graduate of Ecole Royale in Brussels. He went to Paris and worked there for more than 30 years, especially as book illustrator, often working with his son and pupil, Stéphane Pannemaker (1847-1930), especially on reproductions of Gustave Doré's book illlustrations.

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.

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 Purgatorio.

Published as a part work by Cassell and Company, Limited, London. May 1903 - September 1904.

Page size 13 1/4 inch x 10 inch

The engraving, on fairly thick paper, is in very good condition. Reverse side blank.