Map of Hell

Dante envisioned hell as consisting of nine rings, all leading towards the center of the earth. Botticelli’s work, aptly illustrating Hell’s punishments in the gory details of an inverted cone, succeeds in imparting life to Dante’s narrative.

Using pen and brush on vellum, Botticelli visually represents Dante’s 14th-century epic poem “Inferno.”

This Pen and ink on sheep parchment measures 32.50 x 47.50 and is housed in the Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom.