BUR10170 Dante Meditating the Episode of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta (oil on canvas) by Paton, Joseph Noel (1821-1901); 101x89 cm; Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre, UK; (add.info.: Dante\'s Dream, from the \'Divine Comedy\' This is a painting more about a text rather than an illustration of one. The artist shows us the poet, Dante, deep in thought. The title of the picture explains the subject of his deliberations. The large folio volume supported by his right hand is probably his great work, the \'Divina Commedia\'.This long poem is divided into three parts, one of which is the \'Inferno\', or Hell. Dante includes himself in this poem being conducted around hell by the poet Virgil who shows him various sinners and the dreadful consequences of their sin. The poem??? thesis is that we should condemn the sin and the sinner alike, but in the dramatic fifth canto of the \'Inferno\' Dante meets the two murdered, adulterous lovers, Paolo and Francesca. They are locked in an eternal embrace, condemned for eternity to one of the circles of hell; Dante is moved to pity. He falls to the floor of hell as if dead. Ignoring this warning, the artist has developed this theme in his painting. We are shown the two lovers in the sky framed by an arch. In the spandrels of the arch are two further scenes from familiar parables that explain the artist??? thoughts. On Francesca??? side is the story of the woman taken in adultery, and, on Paolo??? side, the return of the prodigal son. Both parables conclude with pity and forgiveness; the artist??? intentions are clear. We should condemn the sin but forgive the sinner. There is a quote from the poem along the top edge that sounds a note of warning. Roughly translated it reads \'love it was that brought us here\' (to hell). The picture is painted on a light-coloured ground in very thin oily paint, and in places the underdrawing is clearly visible. It\'s precision and hardness of outline betrays the Germanic influence of the Nazarenes. The painting also shares their piety and zeal.); 穢 Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre ; Scottish, out of copyright.