The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent 1827

William Blake made this engraving, "The Circle of the Thieves; Agnolo Brunelleschi Attacked by a Six-Footed Serpent," sometime between 1826 and 1827. Blake was deeply influenced by his radical religious and political views. This particular work reflects his intense engagement with Dante's Inferno. Blake departs from traditional representations of the poem, using its themes to explore his own ideas about morality and spiritual transformation. The figures in the print contort in agony, their bodies merging, reflecting the poem's themes of punishment and corruption. Blake was interested in personal and spiritual liberation, and the engraving shows the consequences of moral failings. The absence of color focuses our attention on the emotional and psychological states of the figures. The engraving challenges us to reflect on our own moral choices and the paths we choose. The artwork becomes a mirror, reflecting the complexities of human nature and the artist's personal search for meaning and redemption.