Divine Comedy - L'Enfer - Chant 1 - Departure on the Grand Voyage - Etching - 118/242 - "Collectors Set"

Art Historical Context

Salvador Dalí’s illustrations for Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy form one of the most ambitious graphic projects of the twentieth century, comprising 100 images across Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

In L’Enfer, Chant I, Dante awakens midway through his life to find himself lost in a dark forest, symbolizing moral confusion and spiritual disorientation. Attempts to escape are blocked by threatening beasts, until the poet Virgil appears and offers guidance.

Dalí’s etching emphasizes uncertainty and transition rather than spectacle. The image functions as a moment of recognition: before descent, before judgment, before punishment—when the journey is only beginning, but cannot be avoided.

Authentication & Documentation

This artwork is accompanied by an Authentication Report created to provide traceable documentation and transparency specific to this individual print. The report is designed to support responsible collecting and informed evaluation of Dalí’s graphic works.

• Edition context and series verification
• Technique and material review (etching characteristics)
• Reference-based research relevant to the Divine Comedy series
• High-resolution photographic documentation

Collecting Significance

Chant I is foundational to the entire Divine Comedy cycle. As the moment where disorientation gives way to purpose, it holds special appeal for collectors interested in narrative origin points and psychological symbolism. This plate is often regarded as one of the most philosophically resonant images in the Inferno sequence.