Art, Symbol & Imagination
The shining cross
Winged figures gather into a tall cross above clouds, with Dante and Beatrice watching from the lower right. The bright form dominates the pale sky. The caption identifies Christ beaming on the cross within the sphere of Mars. Doré gives the celestial sign a living texture, building its arms and upright from a multitude of bodies. The image joins the recognisable outline of a symbol to the movement of the souls who compose the vision.
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Citation
Gustave Doré (design). "The shining cross" [editorial title]. In Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante, Dante Alighieri; translated by Henry Francis Cary; illustrated by Gustave Doré. New edition, 1901, 1901, Thompson & Thomas. Source scan leaf 281. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/dante-dore-280
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Source plate inspected individually; printed canto and lines checked independently of binding position. Editorial title; original scan tone retained.
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From the book
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of DanteDante Alighieri; translated by Henry Francis Cary; illustrated by Gustave Doré1901More from this book
All 60 illustrations
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Cite this illustration
Gustave Doré (design). The shining cross. Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante. Scan leaf 281. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/dante-dore-280