Paradise of Dante, Series 1

Of course, Dante's Paradise had to tempt me. Hell is immanent in its torments; Purgatory is immanent in its moderation; Paradise, on the other hand, is transcendent.

Dante continues to transport us into the mystical rapture. This realm beyond the senses and reason remains perceptible, however, as transcendence becomes sensory thanks to the evocation of ever-increasing light, even though it is unbearable from the outset. Thanks also to extreme speeds, Dante has not left one heaven before finding himself in the next, flooded with increased light. Moreover, this overall ecstasy is disrupted by theological militancy and documented political anger.

In literature, it was possible, as writing has proven, to suggest this through words, which are capable of conveying contradiction. Light, colors, and the strokes of a paintbrush cannot do this, even with Dante as a guide. This is why I proceeded in five stages [five series], defeated in advance, but undoubtedly seduced by the impossibility of the project.

The ultimate visual challenge is the light throughout the thirty-three cantos of Paradise. From the outset, it is unbearably bright, yet it intensifies with each canto. What linguistic tricks could offer the poet was lacking for the painter. The undertaking was experienced as a kind of intrusion into the author's mind. To embrace its mystery without understanding it. And see. The same adventure applies to speed, which in Dante's work increases constantly.

A first series of 33 cantos took on color on paper and without faces, evoked only by the initials of first names: D for Dante, B for Beatrice.
The second series took the risk of depicting faces, but using Indian ink. The third series brought together faces and color on canvas.

In the way of cerebral landscapes, however, only Dante ventured there where nobody had ventured before (L'acqua ch'io prendo già mai non si corse), and he even advises against anyone following him: "O you who are within your little bark (O voi che siete in piccioletta barca) eager to listen (desiderosi d'ascoltar) turn back to see your shores again (tornate a riveder li vostri liti) do not attempt to sail the seas I sail (non vi mettete in pelago) you may, by losing sight of me (chè, forse, perdendo me) be left astray (rimarreste smarrati)." What is more, what Dante had attained, he could not repeat because, as he explains, our intellect becomes so deep that memory cannot follow (nostro intelletto si profunda tanto / che dietro la memoria non puo ire).