But not of Thebes the furies nor the Trojan were ever seen in any one so cruelIn goading beasts, and much more human members, as I beheld two shadows pale and naked, who, biting, in the manner ran along that a boar does, when from the sty turned loose. One to Capocchio came, and by the nape seized with its teeth his neck, so that in dragging at made his belly grate the solid bottom. And the Aretine, who trembling had remained, said to me: “That mad sprite is Gianni Schicchi, and raving goes thus harrying other people.” (Canto 30. Inferno).
As a young student at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, William Adolphe Bouguereau pursued a classical training, studying the masters of the Renaissance (notably Raphael) and developing his skills. Although the themes of his paintings have been changing over the years, his work is impregnated with his unique style, whether in the compositions, the colors or the expressiveness of his models.
The painter's ambition is apparent from his first exhibitions at the Paris Salon. Following the success of "Egalité devant la mort" in 1849, Bouguereau undertook the design of an even greater painting: Dante and Virgil.
Bouguereau depicted a scene from Canto number thirty of Dante's Inferno (The Eighth Circle of Hell), and was inspired by antiquity and classical traditions. Through his painting, the artist pushes the aesthetic limits of his style and shows boldness by renewing himself both technically and thematically. In the center, Capocchio and Gianni Schicchi struggle violently and relentlessly. Their imposing stature, their prominent muscles and their posture are stretched to the point of distortion.
The scene is filled with many characters and abounds in color, movement and shapes. In addition to the naked wrestlers in a pond of blood in the foreground, a demon in the background shows its teeth, and at Capocchio's feet lies an inanimate body. The red sky shines brightly, the blood and the excessive gestures of the figures create a mesmerizing atmosphere of tension and horror.
Bouguereau drew a lot of attention, both from the public and the critics, who praised his unusual style. Alas, the painting did not find a buyer, and the artist abandoned his aesthetic research in favor of more classical subjects which were more lucrative. His work remained in the family collection until it was acquired by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris in 2010.
Nathan
1. William Adolphe Bouguereau, Dante and Virgil, 1850, oil on canvas, 281x225 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/collections/oeuvres-commentees/peinture/commentaire_id/dante-et-virgile-21300.html?tx_commentaire_pi1%5BpidLi%5D=509&tx_commentaire_pi1%5Bfrom%5D=841&cHash=ce0e9a0df9
https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/06/arts/art-view-to-bouguereau-art-was-strickly-the-beautiful.html