Study Day | A Day of Dante and William Blake | NGV International

Study Day: A Day of Dante

William Blake illustration 'Dante running from Three Beasts'

William BLAKE Dante running from the Three Beasts (1824-1827) illustration for The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Inferno I, 1-90) pen and ink and watercolour over pencil and black chalk 37.3 x 52.8 cm (sheet) Butlin 812.1; Butlin & Gott 3 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Felton Bequest, 1920 988-3

Delve into Dante’s Divine Comedy and William Blake’s acclaimed series of watercolours inspired by the text. The NGV owns thirty-six of the 102 watercolours Blake executed in the 1820s to illustrate Dante’s Divine Comedy, which are regarded as among the artist’s finest and most impressive creations. The watercolours are currently on display at the NGV (along with other works by Blake) in the NGVs William Blake exhibition.  Due to the material’s light sensitivity, these works are only infrequently exhibited and the exhibition provides the rare opportunity to see the Gallery’s complete holdings of Blake’s work which span his full career, from his earliest to his latest years.

Explore Blake and the Divine Comedy with Assoc Prof Stephen Kolsky, The University of Melbourne, Dr William Johnston, Visiting Lecturer, Yarra Theological Union, MCD University of Divinity and Cathy Leahy, Senior Curator, NGV.

Program

1.30pm Assoc Prof Stephen Kolsky | Dante’s vision: Writing Well for a Bad World

2.10pm Dr William Johnston | Contextualising a Singular Artist: William Blake and His Contemporaries as Interpreters of Dante’s Comedy

2.50pm BREAK

3.30pm Cathy Leahy | Floor talk held in the exhibition space

Date: Sunday 13th Jul, 1.30-3.30pm

Venue Clemenger BBDO Auditorium & Exhibition Space, Ground Level, NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road

Tickets: Cost $20 A / $16 M / $18 C, Bookings essential, Booking code P1486

Information & bookings: Ph +61 3 8662 1555, 10am-5pm daily