The Love that moves the sun and the other stars. — Dante.
This work is an ongoing series (2021- ) of texts describing scenes of The Divine Comedy’s Paradise linked to landscapes of the epic poem. Each digital drawing is a still of what I imagine to be a constantly mutating Heaven, in shape and colour, after Dante, Beatrice and the angels left.
Looking down from the Sphere of the Fixed Stars, Dante saw the humble planet that was the Earth.
The structure of Dante’s Heaven was based on the four cardinal virtues on mind and character: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. And the three theological virtues for salvation: Charity, Hope and Faith.
The Primum Mobile was the home of angels and here Dante saw God as a bright point of light surrounded by nine rings made of these astral presences.
Here, a hundred angels rose up, casting flowers around Paradise, an immaterial and eterenal world. Virgil, who symbolized Reason, disappeared. Beatrice, who represented theology, became Dante’s guide to enlightened truth.
Dante ascended to a region beyond physical existence, the Empyrean, which was the home of God. Beatrice became more beautiful than ever, and Dante became embraced by light, making him ready to see God.
The Beatific Vision
The pieces are printed in acid free, museum quality paper, 105cms x 75 cms.
Helen Blejerman 