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a
Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867)
Gianciotto Discovers Paolo and Francesca (c. 1855-60)
Oil on canvas, 11 1/2 x 8 3/4 in.
The Hyde Collection and Historic House
Glens Falls, New York USA
b
William Blake
The Circle Of the Lustful, Paolo and Francesca (1826-27)
engraving with drypoint (unfinished) (NGV 50a II)
Restrike, printed in 1968
Gift of Lessing J. Rosenwald, 1968
National Gallery of Victoria [Melbourne, Australia]
c
Alexandre Cabanel
Der Tod von Francesca da Rimini und Paolo Malatesta
Mort de Francesca de Rimini et de Paolo Malatesta (c. 1870)
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
~ ~ ~
Grazie for the Dante lesson!
Francesca's dad Guido I made peace with the Malatesta family, and wanted to cement the alliance by marrying Francesca off to the Malatesta heir Gianciotto. Giancotto was a brave warrior, but also lame and deformed, and dad knew Francesca would never agree.
So dad tricked her with a proxy marriage in which she thought she was marrying Gianciotto's handsome brother Paulo. She found out she was really married to Gianciotto the day after the wedding. il Surpriso!
Paolo and Francesca fell in love, and Gianciotto caught them smooching and murdered them.
I still don't see why they had to spend Eternity in Hell. Dad and Gianciotto in Hell for all Eternity, roasted over flames like marshmallows -- this I get, for sure.
But the Rules for Heaven and Hell are pretty cruel and rigid if people like Francesca and Paolo end up tormented in Hell for Eternity. That sucks, and I'll tell that to any theologian who asks me.
I may be misremembering this, but I seem to recall that Dante locates theologians in the Lowest Circle of Hell.
