'The Pit of Disease: The Falsifiers', William Blake

Artwork details

Artist

William Blake (1757‑1827)

Title

The Pit of Disease: The Falsifiers

From Illustrations to Dante's 'Divine Comedy'

Date 1824-7

MediumInk and watercolour on paper

Dimensionssupport: 372 x 527 mm

Collection

Tate

Acquisition 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 the Art Fund 1919

Reference

N03362

On display at Tate Britain

Theme: BP Spotlights

Room: Landscape in Blake

Display caption

Dante and Virgil have arrived at the circle of Hell inhabited by ‘falsifiers’ such as forgers. They are tormented by numerous diseases.

Blake used a red lake, probably brazilwood, and a gritty vermilion red to show the flames of Hell. These pigments have very different working properties, and are not easy to use in thin washes in gum medium. He preferred to use vermilion whenever a blood red or a living flesh tone was required. Here he has used it for parts of the diseased bodies of the two falsifiers at the right, which are raw with scratching.

August 2004