The Art of Dante's Inferno

Catalog description

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, pairing close readings of the poem with its artistic, musical, and cinematic afterlives across seven centuries. Primary sources include architectural projects such as Terragni’s Danteum, visual interpretations by Botticelli, Doré and Rodin, and musical settings by Puccini. By situating Inferno within the cultural frameworks of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern eras, students will examine Dante’s historical context and his enduring influence on global culture. Central to our study is Dante’s moral philosophy—his ethics of punishment, the law of contrapasso, and his treatment of the “Seven Deadly Sins.” These frameworks illuminate the medieval worldview and also open space for reflection on contemporary debates about justice, morality, and power. Considering how artists across time have interpreted and responded to Dante’s vision enables students to confront enduring questions of judgment, retribution, and redemption, and to connect the poem’s ethics with the complexities of modern society. Guest lectures and site visits (to the Maguire Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum) will complement our exploration of one of the greatest works of world literature and its expansive legacy.