Drawings by Sandro Botticelli for Dante's Divina commedia : reduced facsimiles after the originals in the Royal Museum, Berlin, and in the Vatican Library (1896)
Botticelli, Sandro, 1444 or 5-1510, Lippmann, Friedrich, 1839-1903, Baldini, Baccio · London : Lawrence and Bullen · leaf 55
INFERNO 43 Virgil mounts on Geryon's back, and exhorts Dante to follow his example. With much fear and hesitation he obeys, seating himself in front of Virgil, who clasps him in his arms. Geryon carries them down- ward through the air. (Alighting with them at the bottom of the abyss, he leaves them… … ENGRAVING OF 1 481. The leading motive of the drawing is based on the description of Virgil, seated on Geryon's back, encouraging Dante, who still hesitates, to mount in front of him. The engraver distinguishes two of the usurers by the emblazoned pouches described in the poem. He who bears the…
