Suggestions from Antiquity. Discovering Classical Iconographies in the Trecento Divine Comedy Illustrations
Chiara Ponchia
After Dante’s death (1321), the Divine Comedy quickly became one most appreciated works of Italian literature. Its spreading was impressively wide, since from first half 14th century patrons asked for illuminated manuscripts poem, looking a visual support to imagine pilgrimage through Hereafter. Therefore, illuminators had face difficult challenge illustrating text with no previous iconographic tradition. The easiest way to deal this issue turning other sources, choosing among them suitable iconographies be re-used in masterpiece illustration. In article we will see that, just as literary sources were both mediaeval and classical, illuminators’ quest images wasn’t limited contemporary and in some cases might find the echo Сlassical models illustrations.
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