Canto XXVII. Circle 8: Bolgia 9 / The Sowers of Discord; Dante Describes the Condition of Romagna to Guido da Montefeltro c. 15th century

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to this intriguing image, titled "Canto XXVII. Circle 8: Bolgia 9 / The Sowers of Discord; Dante Describes the Condition of Romagna to Guido da Montefeltro." It’s unsigned, dating from around the time of Dante. Editor: My first impression is how graphic it is! The figures almost seem to climb out of the page through stark lines of black ink. Curator: Indeed. The piece illustrates a scene from Dante’s Inferno, focusing on the ninth bolgia of the eighth circle, populated by sowers of discord. Consider the material—probably a woodcut, lending itself to those bold contrasts. Editor: The process really amplifies the themes. Think about the labor involved, the cutting away—it mirrors the severing of relationships these figures enacted in life. Curator: Precisely. The anonymity also speaks volumes. It shifts the focus away from individual authorship and centers the universal themes of morality, punishment, and social breakdown explored in Dante’s work. Editor: It makes one reflect on the concept of discord and division throughout history. How timeless these themes are! Curator: Absolutely. The power of this image lies in its ability to spark such conversations. Editor: Agreed, bringing the past and the present into a single frame.