Title: The Divine Comedy
Author: Dante Alighieri
First published: 1321 (published 1472)
The epic poem of Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy (or just ‘Comedìa’) is an examination of the state of the soul after death and presents an image of divine justice meted out as due punishment or reward.
Split into three cantiches, the poem describes Dante’s travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven and is widely accepted as documenting the journey of a soul as it finds God. Starting in Hell, (where the soul recognises sin) continuing with Purgatory (where the soul leads a penitent Christian life) and ending in Heaven (where the soul ascends to God).
I have zero interest in religion, but as a piece of communication The Divine Comedy has always fascinated me. It’s a visceral and visual way of describing a high concept – so I wanted the imagery to be impactful, too. I also wanted the three volumes to share a visual journey. For type, I selected Jonathan Barnbrook’s Exocet, as a nod to the intense, often violent, journey that Dante embarks on (particularly through the infamous ‘Nine Circles of Hell’) – it made marketable sense and adds another dimension to an otherwise fairly simple set of designs.
These covers are a reimagining and not commercially available, any fonts or images used have been included as part of a personal project only.
