Art, Symbol & Imagination
The Valley of the Singing Spirits
A company gathers in a flowered woodland hollow while two robed travellers watch from the side. Interlaced trees and softly falling light enclose the seated and standing figures. The caption identifies the singing of Salve Regina in Purgatory VII. Doré gives the valley a sheltered character, making the communal act of song belong to a particular place rather than an abstract heavenly chorus. The observers' quieter position distinguishes arrival from participation. The vegetation and varied postures retain the sense of a living gathering, even as the poem locates the company among waiting souls.
Read the source pageLoading your collection…
Citation
Gustave Doré (design). "The Valley of the Singing Spirits" [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 52. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/dante-dore-51
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Original source design and caption inspected; composition retained with scan margins trimmed. No reconstructed or recoloured details.
Sources
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
Related illustrations
Explore in the Codex
Entries that reference this illustration.
- Harry of England in the ValleyThe English king appears alone within the company of waiting rulers.
- Ottocar beside RodolphA consoling ruler is contrasted with his heir in the valley's political portrait.
- Rodolph in the Valley of PrincesAn emperor sits above the other spirits while the guide recalls an unfulfilled duty.
- The Limit on Ascent after SunsetThe mountain cannot be climbed upward once daylight has gone.
- William of Montferrat's Upward GazeA marquis sits lowest in the valley while looking upward.
Cite this illustration
Gustave Doré (design). The Valley of the Singing Spirits. Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante. Scan leaf 52. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/dante-dore-51