Canto XV: [no title] 1981

Curator: Esq Tom Phillips, born in 1937, created this print titled "Canto XV" as part of his illustrated version of Dante's Inferno. The image contains many symbolic elements in a small setting, framed by an inner border with the dimensions of 263 x 202 mm. Editor: It feels like a stage set, almost claustrophobic, with this peculiar book front and center, overshadowing everything else. What's the significance of the book's title? Curator: "Una Selva Mesta" translates to "a mournful forest," a direct quote from the opening lines of Dante's Inferno. Phillips has engaged deeply with the text. The imagery within the book reflects the symbolic forest of Dante's narrative. Editor: And the fleur-de-lis wallpaper—that certainly carries its own historical weight, hinting at French royalty and perhaps even the corruption Dante saw within the Church. Curator: Absolutely. The wallpaper and the framed image evoke a sense of history, acting as a backdrop for Dante’s personal hell and the socio-political climate in which he wrote. Editor: I see the artist embedded multiple layers of historical and symbolic meanings. It is a wonderful piece to consider the power of imagery, which adds so much weight to Dante’s original verses. Curator: Indeed. Phillips uses the visual language to enrich Dante’s work, offering his own interpretation and critique on the political and social issues within the narrative.