Art, Symbol & Imagination
Charon Approaches in His Boat
An elderly ferryman braces against a long oar in a small boat, its bow rising among churning waves beneath a dark rock wall. Dante's classical ferryman arrives to gather the dead for passage across Acheron. The oar creates a strong diagonal through the body and water, giving the small boat an appearance of forceful movement. Light catches the ferryman's chest and beard while the bank remains almost black. The caption describes an old man calling out to the spirits. Doré's emphasis is on the approach and command of the boatman; the packed company of souls appears more fully in the companion embarkation plate.
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Citation
Gustave Doré (design). "Charon Approaches in His Boat" [editorial title]. In Dante's Inferno, Dante Alighieri. New Edition, undated supplied scan, undated edition, Thompson & Thomas. Source scan leaf 35. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/inferno-dore-28
Source details
Editorial title and description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Full source plate visually inspected; original scan tone retained. Editorial title. Sideways bound plates turned upright in the derivative only; source and reader unchanged.
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Gustave Doré (design). Charon Approaches in His Boat. Dante's Inferno. Scan leaf 35. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/inferno-dore-28