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SAVOYV4_icon7_blake_purgatory

This halftone reproduction of Blake’s water-colour drawing for Dante’s Purgatory is in portrait orientation. The image shows a rocky mountain on the left with sea and a sky on the right. The mountain is being climbed two male figures, Dante and Virgil. One figure higher up beckons towards another figure who is ascending. The mountain is comprised of many large rocks. The climbing figure has his back to the viewer and is wearing dark pants and a loose, dark long-sleeve shirt. The figure’s right arm is extended up and to the right, reaching to the top of a chunk of rock. His right foot is drawn back, and his left hand is resting down on a rock to the left. This figure has light hair that falls to just below the shoulders. At three-quarters of the height of the page is the other figure. This figure is facing the viewer, and standing on one rock with just their left foot. The figure’s right leg is bent up and the right foot is resting on a higher rock. The figure’s left arm is down by his side. The figure’s right arm is lifted straight up and to the right of his head. The figure is wearing a transparent robe that flows around the body. HIs head is tilted down slightly to look at the water below to the right on the page. There is more rock rising above and to the left behind him. In the background is the sky, with one large circle representing the sun or moon in the centre of the sky and a trail of dark mist is in front and across it. To the right of the mountain and from the mid-height of the page down is wavy and dark water of the sea. The top half of the page behind the sun is open sky. In the centre of the foreground on top of the bottom of the rocky mountain is text that reads:: “Purgatory // Canto 4”.