canto31-Dante submerged in the river Lethe

canto31e, originally uploaded by Ohrmazd's Vision.

Dante's Inferno, illustrated by Gustav Dore, was my first introduction to the illustrated nude body (outside of my Father's paint-by-numbers Draped Nude, hung in an ornate gilted frame with red velvet inlay that resided in the cellar). The volume of my Father's was tucked up and away, but upon discovering it, I was filled with wonder, and a bit of terror as these bodies were not all winged in white, but wrestling with snakes, burrowed in smoking holes with just the legs sticking out. Breasts and indeterminate gender parts were not unfamiliar, given the self knowledge of my own body. In the midst of all the action, was the calm couple, Virgil and Dante, taking in the scenes and observing Karma in action. I was moved, many years later, to begin a series of collages based on some of the cantos, and include one here that is more uplifting in tone than most of my illustrations on the Inferno.