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Ary Scheffer

Dante and Virgil Meeting the Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo

1851
oil on fabric
24.7 × 33.2 cm (9.7 × 13.1 in)

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In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of July 2026

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FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

Based on The Divine Comedy, Dante's epic poem of the 1300s, this painting depicts Dante and the ancient Roman poet Virgil encountering the souls of Paolo and Francesca on a visit to Hell. Although in love with Paolo, Francesca was forced to marry his deformed brother for political reasons. When the jilted husband discovered the lovers embracing, he murdered them, apparently consigning them to Hell due to their adulterous affair.

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