The Barque of Dante (Manet)

The Barque of Dante is an early painting by Édouard Manet, completed in 1854. It depicts a scene from Dante Alighieri's Inferno, specifically Canto VIII, where Dante and Virgil are crossing the River Styx into the city of Dis.

The painting shows Dante and Virgil in a small boat, guided by Phlegyas, the ferryman of the Styx. They are surrounded by tormented souls struggling in the murky water. Manet's work is notable for its dramatic use of light and shadow, and its stark, almost brutal, depiction of the damned.

The painting reflects Manet's early interest in Romantic and literary themes, pre-dating his later, more Impressionistic works. It also shows the influence of earlier masters, particularly Eugène Delacroix and Peter Paul Rubens, in its composition and subject matter. The work is currently housed in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.