Dante´s divine comedy
Dante´s divine Comedy
A MANUSCRIPT BY GEORGE COCHRANE
Dante’s Divine Comedy is considered a masterpiece of world literature and numerous copies of this narrative poem have been produced over the last seven centuries. Consequently, a unique edition has been completed, a modern manuscript written by George Cochrane. He worked on this manuscript for years and dedicated his life’s work to the creation of a new Divine Comedy: the first fully handwritten and hand-illustrated version of Dante’s Divine Comedy since the 15th century!
DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY
The Divina Commedia is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Each of the three cantiche consists of 33 canti (cantos), therefore – as there is an introductory canto– the poem consists of 100 canti with 14 233 lines. In addition, the number three in this poem is very important in many ways; Dante used the verse scheme terza rima, creating lines of eleven syllables, and these lines form tercets. The total number of syllables in each tercet is thus 33, which corresponds to the number of cantos in each cantina.
DANTE'S JOURNEY THROUGH HEAVEN AND HELL
The poem is written in the first person and narrates Dante’s journey through the three realms of the dead. The journey begins on the night before Good Friday and ends on the Wednesday after Easter in the spring of 1300. The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and Purgatory; Beatrice, Dante’s ideal wife, guides him through Heaven. Beatrice was a Florentine woman whom he had met in his childhood and admired from afar, in keeping with the courtly love tradition of the time.
THE FACSIMILE EDITION
The faithful facsimile edition of the manuscript was completed by Georges Cochrane in 2020. On 384 full-page illustrated pages in 30 × 25 cm format, Dante’s masterpiece is reinterpreted as a modern manuscript.
It is a limited edition of the German version, hand-numbered to 1000 copies worldwide, and comes in a gold-stamped leather binding with a jewelled case. We presented the new edition for the first time at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
"A modern masterpiece that lets Dante's timeless journey through heaven and hell shine anew in artistic handwriting."
Characteristics
Dante´s divine comedy | |
| Creation Year | 2020 |
| Place of Origin | US and Italy |
| Extent | 384 full-page illustrated pages |
| Language | German |
| Type of Manuscript | Manuscripts |
| Genre | Artbook |
| Artist/Workshop | George Cochrane |
The Edition
Dante´s divine comedy | |
| Format | 30 cm x 25 cm |
| Limitation | 1000 hand-numbered copies |
| Binding | Leather |
| Publisher | Müller und Schindler |
| Item Number | 72093 |
Questions and Answers
George Cochrane created the modern manuscript.
It is the first fully handwritten and hand-illustrated version of the Divine Comedy since the 15th century.
It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
The work comprises 100 cantos, including an introductory canto.
The number three plays a significant role. The poem uses the terza rima rhyme scheme, where each stanza consists of three lines. Each line has eleven syllables, resulting in a total of 33 syllables per stanza.
The Roman poet Virgil guides Dante through Hell and Purgatory.
Beatrice, Dante's ideal woman, accompanies him through Heaven.
The edition was completed in 2020.
The edition contains 384 fully illustrated pages.
It is considered a masterpiece due to its deep symbolism, complex structure, and its influence on literature and art since the Middle Ages.
Beatrice was a woman Dante met in his childhood and admired from afar, in line with the courtly love tradition typical of that time.
The number three represents the Christian concept of the Trinity and is consistently reflected in the structure, meter, and symbolism of Dante's work.
Although the text does not directly mention this, the motivation could be to revive the medieval tradition of craftsmanship and establish a close connection between art and literature.
It means that only 1000 copies were produced worldwide, making this edition particularly exclusive and valuable.
