Canto XVII. Circle 7 (Round 3) / The Usurers, Violent Against Art; Descent to the Eighth Circle on Geryon's Back c. 15th century

Curator: Today we're looking at an anonymous woodcut illustrating Canto XVII of Dante's Inferno, held in the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts Dante and Virgil's descent to the Eighth Circle on the back of Geryon. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the unsettling composition! The sharp lines and chaotic figures really capture the anxiety of that descent. It's like a nightmare unfolding before your eyes. Curator: Precisely! The artist uses the woodcut medium to emphasize the harsh realities of the usurers' fate. Notice the dense cross-hatching, a technique reflecting the labor-intensive process of printmaking, mirroring the exploitative nature of usury itself. Editor: And that grotesque Geryon! Its human-like face contrasts sharply with the serpentine body, embodying deception. Dante's poem describes it as having the face of a just man, but the body of a beast. Chilling. Curator: It speaks to the artistic conventions of the time. This print circulated widely, bringing Dante's vision of hell to a broader audience. The medium itself played a vital role in shaping popular perceptions of the poem. Editor: It really emphasizes how deeply the themes of betrayal and punishment resonate, even centuries later. Curator: Indeed. The stark contrasts and distorted forms remind us of art's enduring power to confront the darker aspects of human nature. Editor: A descent well worth contemplating.