Dante and Beatrice – Henry Holliday
Oil on canvas • 142.2 x 203.2 cm
He narrates his mystery to Beatrice Portinari. In the story, an incident occurs when, due to a misunderstanding, Beatrice does not recognize the great medieval Italian poet when they meet by chance on the street. In this painting, Beatrice stands in the center of the three women, looking away from Dante. The artist has skillfully distinguished the personality, clothing, and behavior of the three characters. Mona Vanna, Beatrice’s friend to her right, exudes an auspicious air while Beatrice herself remains focused and staring straight ahead.In this painting, the artist, who in this case is the English Victorian painter Henry Holliday, has reduced the turning point of failure in Dante’s deep and otherworldly love story to the level of a simple social story. While we can appreciate the artist’s attention to detail in his depiction of the costumes, architecture, and streets of 13th-century Florence, the emotional impact of Dante’s heartbreaking rejection, which drove him to despair, is absent from the painting. , vita nova (new life), the development of deep love and
Hoda Yousefi
