Dore and the Celestial Pilot

The Celestial Pilot

This is a moment in Canto 2 in which the angelic boat carrying the souls to the shores of Purgatory arrives at the spot where Dante and Virgil are conversing. One can see the rushes in the foreground that Dante used to make a belt and that grew back once he plucked them; "for as he plucked the humble plant, it was suddenly reborn, identical, where he had uprooted it." (1:134-137).  Thus, the plant itself is a symbol of the rebirth of the soul that takes place through the climbing of the mountain of Purgatory.  I believe Dore adds the plant in the piece as a contrast to the humility of the angel and the symbolic rebirth of the souls arriving on the shore of Purgatory. 

In Dore's image, Dante is kneeling because Virgil has told him to; "See, see that you bend your knee. Behold the angel of God..."(2:28-29).  Yet, Virgil is not kneeling.  This, I think, is because Virgil is a pagan and does not know Christian teaching, so Dore may have believed that Virgil would not feel obligated to do so even though he knows Dante, as a Christian, should.  Since he is in Limbo, Virgil might not feel that he can receive God's salvation and thus does not kneel before the angel.  

The image is lit from behind the angel, giving the feeling of a glowing light that comes from the angel himself.  This fits with Dante's description of the angel as "a light coming across the see so rapidly that no flight equals its motion" (2:16-18).  The angel in the picture is the brightest figure, emphasizing the light of God it represents.  The brightness of the angelic oarsmen is in strong contrast to its Inferno counterpart, Charon who is described as cursed and dark with demonic red eyes. The angel and Charon are opposites.  The angel is light and needs no oars but his wings to ferry the boat. Charon must use oars and is described as dark and demonic with red eyes.  Yet, both act as ferrymen in the afterlife.  These characters emphasize the inter cantica that Dante sets up.

Dante and Virgil are the darkest figures in the picture, this, I believe, Dore did this to emphasize the long journey that Dante must continue on in order to become blessed and full of light and that at this moment, he is still far from that light.  Virgil, being a soul of Limbo, cannot reach that light and will remain dark. In Canto 2, it takes Virgil a few moments before he recognizes the oarsmen as an angel.  This is evident of Virgil’s limited knowledge of salvation, having been born before Christ.  This fact has been alluded to several times before including at the Gate of Dis with Virgil’s truncated language, and lacking description of the circle of Heresy. All are due to his lack of Christian understanding.  I imagine this lack of knowledge will become more and more evident as the two ascend toward Heaven and ultimately Dante’s knowledge will overcome Virgil’s and he will no longer be needed or sufficient as a guide.

The angel's wings in Dore's image are large and pointed straight and upward towards the heavens.  This is as Dante describes them: "see how he has them [the wings] stretched toward the sky, beating the air with his eternal feathers."  The wings point toward Heaven, of course, because the angel is a blessed creature.  This again brings forward the symbols of God's light and knowledge.

What strikes me most about the angel is the placement of its body.  The hands are out and down at the sides and the head is forward but slightly tilted.  It appears as though his body is emerging from the front of the boat.  This invokes the image of the passion of the Christ, to me. I believe Dore set up the angel this way to show the angel as a representation of God's justice and humility. This is fitting as Dante says "Then he made the sign to the of the holy cross...and he went away as quickly as he had come" (2:49-50).  The angel in the position of the humble Christ fits well with Dante's description because despite its beauty and awe, the angel simply ferries the people to shore and offers them the sign of the cross without boasting or parading about.  It moves quickly and quietly through its duties and immediately returns for more souls once the current load is on the shore.  The angel is humble and dutiful in this manner and is symbolic of the type of leadership that Christ presented and that Dante longs for.