Illustration to Dante's Divine Comedy, Purgatory 

William Blake's watercolor illustration to Dante's Divine Comedy, Purgatory, presents a landscape divided by contrasting realms of earthly struggle and ethereal transcendence. Notice how Blake uses color and form to distinguish these spaces. On the left, we see a turbulent sea beneath a sky dominated by heavy, reddish clouds, creating a sense of drama and emotional intensity. These elements are suggestive of purification. The figures, cloaked and bowed, seem burdened by the weight of their earthly existence. In stark contrast, the right side of the composition features an arched doorway, leading to a serene, light-filled space where an angel sits calmly. This division highlights a journey from turmoil to peace, a visual metaphor for the process of purgation itself. The solid structure provides a visual anchor, juxtaposing the fluidity of redemption with the solidity of divine presence. Blake masterfully uses these contrasting elements to destabilize our understanding of the journey of salvation, suggesting that transcendence is both a process and a state of being.