Dante+in+the+Dark+Wood

== = = =Dante in the Dark Wood=

The first picture shows Dante in the dark wood of error. This is the very beginning of the Comedy. Dante is a middle-aged man who has lost his way in the world.



Let's analyze this work according to the three elements mentioned earlier.

Visual Cues
Dante's text very generally describes Dante as being lost in the "dark wood of error". Dore illustrates this moment by moving beyond the description in the text. Notice how the trees are all exceptionally vertical in their trunks. This draws the eye down toward the bottom of the page where Dante is. He is actually below the line of the trees on the left of the frame. The gnarly roots directly beside Dante are the only grotesque aspect of the trees. In every other way, the trees look normal, though dimly lit. This may show that Dante, being an introspective person, is able to see to the root of things and it is this knowledge that shows him he is actually lost in the dark wood.

Since Dante is supposed to be a stand-in for any human on the way to God's redeeming glory, the picture implies (as does the text in other areas) that everyone has a moment of clarity about their lives and realizes he or she is lost without God's help. This moment of clarity and subsequent terror at being lost is evident in Dante's expression in Dore's picture. His gaze directs us back the way he came, a way now blocked by vines. Dante has no choice but to move forward or freeze. Dore's picture shows that Dante, and everyone by extension, doesn't have a choice. Once you understand that your life is lost in the dark wood, you can't go back to being ignorant. The way we were, no matter how longingly Dante looks at it, is beyond our reach.

The large space in front of Dante is the dark path before him. It does not reveal what is to come. Just as Dante cannot truly grasp the scenes he will see in the three parts of the Comedy, his path is darkened. This darkness necessitates a guide: first, Virgil, then Beatrice. The necessity is even greater than this, though. Virgil's first task is to get Dante looking forward. Dante's backward gaze is part of the reason he is lost in the dark wood in the first place. He does not look where his life is heading and ends up somewhere he doesn't want to be.

Dore depicts Dante's frightening moment of clarity, his tendency to retreat toward a comfortable set of ideas, and the daunting nature of the path before him in a single moment. Though Dante the poet only tells us his poetical counterpart is lost in the wood, Dore helps us feel lost with Dante in the wood.

Framing
When we look at how Dante is framed, we immediately get a sense of an intimidating environment. This is because Dante is shown at the center bottom of the frame. Most of the frame is taken up by trees and darkness. Also, the size of the trees is important to note. We can guess at the heights of the trees because Dante is close to them, so they must be represented proportionally. If Dante were further away, perspective might skew our view of the scene. This stark realism of having Dante right next to the trees in the dark wood makes the measurements not only possible, but meaningful. We can put ourselves in Dante's shoes, something that would be much more difficult if the image were framed differently.

If we assume Dante to be the height of an average man, let's say, 5'9 (69 in.), the tree roots immediately to his left are about 50% taller than Dante, meaning the top of the roots would be about 3 feet above Dante's head. The trunks are about Dante's height. A little math shows us that the canopy of leaves is 9-10 feet above Dante's head, or 15-16 feet from the ground Dante is standing on. The trees are quite formidable when we imagine ourselves in a similar patch of forest where the canopy is about three times our height and darkness shrouds the path

Because the frame cuts off the top of the trees, the viewer is left to wonder at their full height. Consider the tree at the right side of the frame. It is about 2.5 times the size of Dante, about 15-16 feet tall, with no sign of its top in the frame. Dore communicates the mystery and intimidation of the dark wood through his use of framing and size relations. In a similar situation, I think many would have the same expression Dante has on his face.

Lighting
The lighting in the scene comes from a bright source of light around the upper left. The light shines against Dante's back and provides the roots a shadow that is a below and a little to the front (the red circled areas). Notice the contrast in the areas marked by a yellow arrow. One tree is partially illuminated while the other area is in total darkness. This places the light source just outside the frame. If it were further back, more of the area would be illuminated. As it is, the nearness and intensity gives us the spotlight effect on Dante. The light enters the frame roughly along the blue lines. Dore here may be depicting the light as a symbol for God, who is both near to Dante and unseen by him. Dante the poet assumes and underlying belief in the reality and interest of God in every individual person's life. His audience was a largely religious world in the 13th century. Dore, on the other hand, is in a post-Humanist world where God's importance is not as fixed as it was in Dante's time. The light on Dante may be Dore's way of putting God into the picture at the very beginning of the story, just as Dante the poet assumed him to be.

Also, the light intensifies on Dante in the picture. It may very well be that the light of God is shining on Dante's dark life and that this is a partial reason for his worried look. Like a disobedient child caught in the act, Dante seems almost frozen. He appears almost as afraid of the light as he is of the darkness. Dore catches the image of the sinful man being called to a righteous life. The man is confused and disoriented, but realizes he is not in a good place. By using lighting, Dore shows how Dante's journey out of darkness begins with trusting the light that finds you in the dark place of your life.