Dante siddende med en lut, i baggrunden figurer fra Inferno 1743 - 1809

Nicolai Abildgaard, an artist deeply embedded in the Neoclassical era, rendered this drawing of Dante Alighieri with pen and brown ink. Abildgaard's Denmark was a place of political and cultural transformation, deeply influenced by Enlightenment ideals and the burgeoning Romantic movement. Dante is portrayed here not just as a poet, but as a figure of profound emotional depth. Seated with a lute, he becomes a troubadour of his own epic, the *Inferno*, faint figures surrounding him. This choice moves away from traditional heroic portrayals. The drawing evokes a sense of personal reflection. Abildgaard captures Dante's introspective journey through hell, mirroring the artist's own grappling with societal norms and artistic conventions. What does it mean to witness and document suffering, both in literature and in life?