Object Image

Dante in the Empyrean, Drinking at the River of Light

Blake's watercolour illustrations to Dante's Divine Comedy make distinctive use of luminous yellows, blues and reds. In contrast to many watercolour painters of his day, who were concerned with creating natural-looking effects, Blake used pure colours and emphasised the drawn line. In this design, Blake shows the earthly Paradise at the top of the mountain of Purgatory.

Credit: Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the National Gallery and donations from the Art Fund, Lord Duveen and others, and presented through the Art Fund 1919...

1824–7
Graphite and watercolour on paper
528.0 x 371.0mm
N03370
Image and text © Tate Britain, 2022

Where you'll find this

Tate Britain
Permanent collection