The romance of Dante and Beatrice
Francis A. Willey
-
Date:2006; Calgary / Calgary, Canada -
Theme:Religious -
Genre:portrait, photo -
Media:photography -
Dimensions:50.8 x 40.64 cm
The romance of Dante and Beatrice
Francis A. Willey
At the tender age of nine, Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) met Beatrice Portinari (1266–1290), declaring to his soul, “Now is your bliss made manifest,” to which it replied, “Alas! How often henceforth shall we be troubled.”
Restricted by the dictates of courtly love, Beatrice ignored Dante, yet she came to embody the divine incarnation of love that inspired him throughout his life.
In The Divine Comedy, a literary masterpiece, Beatrice is Dante's guide on his pilgrimage through Paradise, leading him finally into the presence of the divine.
This image represents Beatrice flying in a dream. Dante's love is so great for Beatrice he enters her dream and rests his head on her shoulder. At this moment, he takes flight with Beatrice
while she rises to the rose in Paradise.
An angelic throng that makes a ring and the beginning of a premonition.
