THE FOLIO SOCIETY

Profound in its vision, powerfully and richly imagined, the Inferno is a creative tour de force - at once a spiritual autobiography, and a brilliant portrait of the internecine struggles of medieval Italy. In it, Dante, guided by the spirit of Virgil, descends through the circles of Hell until he finally reaches the gigantic figure of Lucifer, 'hell's monarch', fixed in ice at the centre of the earth.

With its stunning evocation of a landscape of fortress cities, burning sands, eternal storms and rivers of boiling blood inhabited by sinners of every hue, Dante's work has inspired writers and artists through the ages, from Chaucer and Boccaccio to Modigliani. William Blake was no exception and his illustrations have found a lasting place in our cultural heritage.