“The Sun–Glorifies Souls” is an illustration by artist Gustave Doré, belonging to the Romanticism art movement. This artwork is part of Doré’s illustrious series inspired by “The Divine Comedy,” a seminal literary work.
The artwork depicts a celestial scene, radiantly illustrating an ethereal moment from the epic poem. At the center of the composition, a host of resplendent, angelic figures form a circular procession in the heavens, their luminous forms glowing with divine light. These figures encircle a pair of human forms standing atop a cloud, who are presumably the pilgrim and Beatrice from Dante’s “Paradiso.” The atmosphere is suffused with a transcendent light, emphasizing the spiritual and heavenly nature of the scene. Doré’s meticulous attention to detail and masterful use of contrasts highlight the glorified state of the souls, reinforcing the themes of divine illumination and eternal glory central to “The Divine Comedy.”
