Austin Osman Spare’s allegorical drawings and verse in Earth Inferno (1905)
The Inferno of the Normal
Earth Inferno gives its central image a circular diagram and a sequence of bodies, curtains, masks and mirrors. The early Synopsis of Inferno divides a circle into labelled sectors around KIA, with the evolution of the inferno and the perpetual circuit of humanity running around its outer region. Later, a page headed The Inferno of the Normal places quotations from Revelation and Dante beside one another. The following Chaos illustration shows a figure drawing aside a curtain; its caption calls this curtain Faith, associates it with humanity’s limited knowledge and says that the inferno of the normal is exposed. A subsequent poem turns towards the mirror of the self, the judgement of others and the incomprehensible intellect of Absolute KIA, ending with the name Hell of the Intrinsic Being. These scenes give the inferno both a social setting and an inward dimension.
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In the sources
A circular synopsis
DocumentedThe early diagram places KIA at its centre and labels the evolution of the inferno and the circuit of humanity around the circle.
Drawing aside the curtain
DocumentedThe Chaos caption identifies the curtain as Faith and connects its lifting with the exposure of the inferno of the normal.
An inward hell
DocumentedThe Dwellers on the Threshold passage connects self-reflection and judgement with Absolute KIA, then names the Hell of the Intrinsic Being.
Earlier voices in the sequence
DocumentedThe page headed The Inferno of the Normal places passages attributed to Revelation and Dante within the same framed page.
A world of convention and an inward conflict
InterpretationRead together, the circle, the curtain and the self-reflective verse allow the inferno to be understood as an image of both social convention and inner division. The foreword’s invitation to interpretation keeps that reading open.
Context & interpretation
This record follows the phrase and its associated images in Spare’s 1905 book. Its faith, knowledge and being are terms within an artistic allegory. The foreword expressly leaves interpretation to the reader; the text does not turn every pictured body or object into a fixed definition.
Original passages
Source 1
Earth Inferno
THE PERPETUAL CIRCUIT OF HUMANITYOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Austin Osman Spare, Earth Inferno, reproduced 1905 work, printed p. 5, Synopsis of Inferno diagram; source scan leaf 5
Checked against the actual printed heading, caption and wording on page 5 in the public facsimile.
- Edition
- IMJ-0272-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0272-E001-P0004
- Original scan leaf
- 5
- Recorded leaf number
- 5
- Current Reader position
- 5
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Earth Inferno
the inferno of THE NORMALOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Austin Osman Spare, Earth Inferno, reproduced 1905 work, printed p. 21, Chaos caption; source scan leaf 21
Checked against the actual printed heading, caption and wording on page 21 in the public facsimile.
- Edition
- IMJ-0272-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0272-E001-P0020
- Original scan leaf
- 21
- Recorded leaf number
- 21
- Current Reader position
- 21
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 3
Earth Inferno
This I will call the HELL of the Intrinsic Being.Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Austin Osman Spare, Earth Inferno, reproduced 1905 work, printed p. 22, The Dwellers on the Threshold; source scan leaf 22
Checked against the actual printed heading, caption and wording on page 22 in the public facsimile.
- Edition
- IMJ-0272-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0272-E001-P0021
- Original scan leaf
- 22
- Recorded leaf number
- 22
- Current Reader position
- 22
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 4
Earth Inferno
the reader must be left to place his own interpretationOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Austin Osman Spare, Earth Inferno, reproduced 1905 work, printed p. 4, foreword signed C.H.L.; source scan leaf 4
Checked against the actual printed heading, caption and wording on page 4 in the public facsimile.
- Edition
- IMJ-0272-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0272-E001-P0003
- Original scan leaf
- 4
- Recorded leaf number
- 4
- Current Reader position
- 4
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 5
Earth Inferno
THE INFERNO OF THE NORMAL.Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Austin Osman Spare, Earth Inferno, reproduced 1905 work, printed p. 20, Revelation and Dante quotations; source scan leaf 20
Checked against the actual printed heading, caption and wording on page 20 in the public facsimile.
- Edition
- IMJ-0272-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0272-E001-P0019
- Original scan leaf
- 20
- Recorded leaf number
- 20
- Current Reader position
- 20
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
