19th century, Dante and the soul of Justinian, Canto VII of Paradise

19th century, Italian school Dante and the soul of Justinian, Canto VII of Paradise Pastel on paper mounted on canvas, 58 x 36 cm With frame, 68 x 46 cm "Osanna, sanctus Deus sabaoth, superillustrans claritate tua felices ignes horum malacoth!". Thus, turning to his note, that substance was seen to sing to me, upon which double light is added; and she and the others began their dance, and like very swift sparks they vanished from me in sudden distance" These tercets open the seventh canto of Dante's Paradise, in which the main encounter is crystallized in the present pastel on paper made in the second half of the 19th century. In the heaven of Mercury, where the spirits who did good for the desire of glory are found, Dante meets the soul of Justinian, here represented above the poet. The painting represents the end of Justinian's speech, when all those souls move away to the sound of angelic zithers and the Osann, Sanctis Deo. It is the evening of Wednesday, April 13 (or March 30 for others) of 1300. Since its first appearance, the Divine Comedy has inspired the fervent imagination of the greatest artists in history, who have delighted in creating graphic images to accompany the famous Dante poem, obtaining dreamy results capable of giving the reader the dramatic and at the same time ethereal experience of the Supreme Poet's journey into the afterlife. The practice of translating the Comedy into visual images has its roots in the fourteenth century, simultaneously with the first diffusion of the poem itself (the oldest illustrated manuscript that has come down to us is in fact the Trivulziano of 1337-1338) and, crossing almost uninterrupted the centuries, continues tirelessly to be the subject of graphic re-elaborations even today. Only one element remains unchanged from the anonymous fourteenth-century miniaturists, passing through Botticelli to the modern Rauschenberg: that of Dante's "journey", spiritual and physical together, which symbolizes the path of every man. At the end of his speech, Justinian intones a song in which he praises God, lord of hosts, who illuminates the spirits of this Heaven; the blessed one rotates to the rhythm of his own song, shining doubly and imitated by the other spirits who, flashing very quickly, move away and escape Dante's gaze. Dante is tormented by a doubt that he does not dare to reveal to Beatrice; he repeatedly urges himself to do so but, due to the reverence that dominates him, he does not decide to speak. Beatrice has sensed the poet's question, namely how the punishment (destruction of Jerusalem) of a just act (the passion and death of the redeemer) from the previous canto could have been just, and begins to explain, promising that she will dispel any doubt. The object is in good condition. With Ars Antiqua it is possible to defer all amounts up to a maximum of € 7,500 at ZERO RATE, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS. Ex. Tot. € 4,500 = Monthly installment € 300 for 15 months. Ex. Tot. € 3,600 = Monthly installment € 720 for 5 months. For amounts exceeding € 7,500 or for a greater extension of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment. Contact us directly to get the best quote. TV LIVE – SUNDAY 19.00 – 23.00 Dig.terr. 126 + 809 SKY - THURSDAY 21.00 - 24.00 Dig.terr. 134 + 809 SKY – Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social Facebook and Youtube All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold with a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and an accurate in-depth study. It is possible to see the works directly at the Milan showroom gallery, in via Pisacane 55 and 57. We personally organize transports and deliveries of works, both for Italy and abroad.