The face of Dante Italian
“His face was long, his nose aquiline, and his eyes large rather than small; he had a great jaw, and his lower lip protruded beyond the upper; his colour was dark, his hair and beard thick, black and curly; and his expression always melancholic and pensive”. (G. Boccaccio)
O grace abounding, through which I
presumed
to set my eyes on the Eternal Light
so long that I spent all my sight on it!
to set my eyes on the Eternal Light
so long that I spent all my sight on it!
Pa XXXIII, 84
The Divine Comedy
Leonardo refers to the verses of a famous terzine and plays with the meaning of the word VEIL.
The OBSCURE VERSES (the 3 books of the Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso) under the VEIL... of Mona Lisa.
O you possessed of sturdy intellects,
observe the teaching that is hidden here
beneath the veil of verses so obscure.
observe the teaching that is hidden here
beneath the veil of verses so obscure.
Inf. IX, 63
The number of Beatrice
The simplest detail that shows the link between Mona Lisa and Beatrice is given by the hands: nine fingers are visible and nine is the number of Beatrice.
… this number was in harmony with her to make it understood that at her birth all nine of the moving heavens were in perfect relationship to one another.
… If anyone thinks more subtly and according to infallible truth, it will be clear that this number was she herself … this lady was accompanied by the number nineso that it might be understood that she was a nine, or a miracle… (Vita.Nuova, XXIX, 2-3)
The light of her eyes
The name of the painting "Gioconda" may have a different reason from what we think. It may refer to Beatrice: in two point of the Comedy the light in her eyes is described using the word GIOCONDA (joyous).
"Here we are nymphs; in heaven, stars; before
she had descended to the world, we were
assigned, as her handmaids, to Beatrice;
she had descended to the world, we were
assigned, as her handmaids, to Beatrice;
we'll be your guides unto her eyes; but it
will be the three beyond, who see more deeply,
who'll help you penetrate her joyous light."
will be the three beyond, who see more deeply,
who'll help you penetrate her joyous light."
Pg. XXXI, 111
and saw such purity within her eyes,
such joy, that her appearance now surpassed
its guise at other times, even the last.
such joy, that her appearance now surpassed
its guise at other times, even the last.
Pa XVIII, 57
The sweet smile of Beatrice
The
loveliness I saw surpassed not only
our human measure-and I think that, surely,
only its Maker can enjoy it fully.
our human measure-and I think that, surely,
only its Maker can enjoy it fully.
I
yield: I am defeated at this passage
more than a comic or a tragic poet
has ever been by a barrier in his theme;
more than a comic or a tragic poet
has ever been by a barrier in his theme;
for
like the sun that strikes the frailest eyes,
so does the memory of her sweet smile
deprive me of the use of my own mind.
so does the memory of her sweet smile
deprive me of the use of my own mind.
From
that first day when, in this life, I saw
her face, until I had this vision, no
thing ever cut the sequence of my song,
her face, until I had this vision, no
thing ever cut the sequence of my song,
but
now I must desist from this pursuit,
in verses, of her loveliness, just as
each artist who has reached his limit must.
in verses, of her loveliness, just as
each artist who has reached his limit must.
So
she, in beauty (as I leave her to
a herald that is greater than my trumpet,
which nears the end of its hard theme)...
PAXXX,36
a herald that is greater than my trumpet,
which nears the end of its hard theme)...
PAXXX,36
Leonardo is the herald who faced this challenge painting the Mona Lisa.
Her last sweet smile
Mona Lisa precisely refers to these verses of the poem. Beatrice is seated on her throne, looks at Dante and smiles at him for the last time.
Where I expected her, another answered:
I thought I should see Beatrice, and saw
an elder dressed like those who are in glory.
I thought I should see Beatrice, and saw
an elder dressed like those who are in glory.
His gracious gladness filled his eyes, suffused
his cheeks; his manner had that kindliness
which suits a tender father. "Where is she?"
his cheeks; his manner had that kindliness
which suits a tender father. "Where is she?"
I asked him instantly. And he replied:
"That all your longings may be satisfied,
Beatrice urged me from my place. If you
"That all your longings may be satisfied,
Beatrice urged me from my place. If you
look up and to the circle that is third
from that rank which is highest, you will see
her on the throne her merits have assigned her."
from that rank which is highest, you will see
her on the throne her merits have assigned her."
I, without answering, then looked on high
and saw that round her now a crown took shape
as she reflected the eternal rays...
and saw that round her now a crown took shape
as she reflected the eternal rays...
"O lady, you in whom my hope gains strength,
you who, for my salvation, have allowed
your footsteps to be left in Hell, in all
you who, for my salvation, have allowed
your footsteps to be left in Hell, in all
the things that I have seen, I recognize
the grace and benefit that I, depending
upon your power and goodness, have received.
the grace and benefit that I, depending
upon your power and goodness, have received.
You drew me out from slavery to freedom
by all those paths, by all those means that were
within your power. Do, in me, preserve
by all those paths, by all those means that were
within your power. Do, in me, preserve
your generosity, so that my soul,
which you have healed, when it is set loose from
my body, be a soul that you will welcome."
which you have healed, when it is set loose from
my body, be a soul that you will welcome."
So did I pray. And she, however far
away she seemed, smiled, and she looked at me.
Then she turned back to the eternal fountain.
away she seemed, smiled, and she looked at me.
Then she turned back to the eternal fountain.
Pa XXXI, 93
The face of Dante hidden in the background tell us that the smile of Mona Lisa is the same one of Beatrice. The secret of Mona Lisa is the same one hidden beneath the veil of verses so obscure. This secret leads beyond the Pillars of Hercules to the land of the extreme North, Thule.
The wild flight of Ulysses and the high flight of Dante to Iceland
In the Comedy
Dante mentions the voyage of Ulysses beyond the Pillars of Hercules. After five months of navigation in the ocean, Ulysses sights a high
mountain but encounters a whirlwind from it that sinks his ship. The
voyage of Ulysses is a wild flight, the voyage of Dante beyond the Pillars of
Hercules is a high flight (I owe my gratitude to her who gave you wings for your high flight - Pa XV, 54).
Wild was the decision of Ulysses to go towards South. Dante succeeds in
reaching the Garden of Eden following a different direction. Leonardo faithfully follows the hidden message of the Comedy
and suggests how to reach the Garden of Eden, Iceland: beyond the Pillars of
Hercules the right direction is North. The Louvre
painting merely has the projecting bases of columns on either side.
And I and my companions were already
old and slow, when we approached the narrows
where Hercules set up his boundary stones
old and slow, when we approached the narrows
where Hercules set up his boundary stones
that men might heed and never reach beyond:
upon my right, I had gone past Seville,
and on the left, already passed Ceüta…
upon my right, I had gone past Seville,
and on the left, already passed Ceüta…
and having turned our stern toward morning, we
made wings out of our oars in a wild flight
and always gained upon our left-hand side.
made wings out of our oars in a wild flight
and always gained upon our left-hand side.
Inf. XXVI, 126
The Kjölur route, the straight way...
Midway in the journey of our life
I came to myself in a dark wood,
for the straight way was lost.
Inf. I, 3
I came to myself in a dark wood,
for the straight way was lost.
Inf. I, 3
In the middle of the
island we can recognize the Kjölur route that goes straight to
North. Some men are walking at
the right latitude along the route. It is the latidude of the point where Dante, Virgil and Statius enter the divine forest: 64° 42' 15'' N.
64° N The path we
took climbed straight within the rock... 65° N
Pg XXVII, 64
The
Kjölur route and the icelandic horse
In the same picture under the men walking along the
Kjölur Route there is a horse. It seems an Icelandic horse at the
tölt. Only icelandic horses are born with the ability to tölt.
Jökulfall, the river Lethe of the Comedy
From the point of entry into the divine forest Dante, Virgil and Statius proceeding eastwards meet the river Lethe. Going back its course Dante reaches the fountain from which flows, just in the point of the confluence with the river Eunoe. At the latitude of the point of entry into the divine forest proceeding eastwards, we come to the river Jökulfall. Climbing its way up to the confluence with the river Blákvísl, the waterfall of Gýgjarfoss.
The water that you see does
not spring from
a vein that vapor-cold-condensed-restores,
like rivers that acquire or lose their force;
a vein that vapor-cold-condensed-restores,
like rivers that acquire or lose their force;
it issues from a pure and
changeless fountain,
which by the will of God regains as much
as, on two sides, it pours and it divides.
which by the will of God regains as much
as, on two sides, it pours and it divides.
Pg. XXVIII, 126
The Emperor Justinian, the eagle and Belisarius
The cavity in the rock of the mountain from which the waterfall flows is also part of another image: it becomes the mantle on the shoulders of the Emperor Justinian. Such as lines of Comedy have multiple meanings so images in the painting overlap. Gustiniano is represented with a crown and an eagle on his hand. Total adherence to the letter of the text of Paradise VI: the imperial power is finally in the hands of Justinian. Note how the small eagle in the hands of Justinian becomes the eye of the head of a bigger eagle and how this eagle becomes the beard of a warror wearing a nasal helmet.
The warrior is General Belisarius..
"After Constantine had
turned the Eagle
counter to heaven's course, the course it took
behind the ancient one who wed Lavinia,
counter to heaven's course, the course it took
behind the ancient one who wed Lavinia,
one hundred and one hundred
years and more,
the bird of God remained near Europe's borders,
close to the peaks from which it first emerged;
the bird of God remained near Europe's borders,
close to the peaks from which it first emerged;
beneath the shadow of the
sacred wings,
it ruled the world, from hand to hand, until
that governing-changing-became my task.
it ruled the world, from hand to hand, until
that governing-changing-became my task.
Caesar I was and am Justinian…
Entrusting to my Belisarius my arms,
I found a sign for me to rest from war:
Heaven's right hand so favored him.
Pa VI, 27
Ganymede
Justinian and the Eagle are central to the message encoded in the Divine Comedy. Equally important is the figure of Ganymede in the dream of Purgatorio IX. Leonardo represents Ganymede in the high consistory of Mount Olympus in its task of cupbearer of the gods intent on pouring nectar from a jug.
in dream I seemed to see an
eagle poised
with golden pinions, in the sky: its wings
were open; it was ready to swoop down.
with golden pinions, in the sky: its wings
were open; it was ready to swoop down.
And I seemed to be there where
Ganymede
deserted his own family when he
was snatched up for the high consistory.
deserted his own family when he
was snatched up for the high consistory.
Pg. IX, 24
Leonardo and the Divine Comedy
The relationship between the painting of Leonardo and the Divine Comedy is demonstrated clearly by another painting: the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne (and also by the cartoon about Saint Anne). Anna so glad to see her daughter Mary does not look away from her...
Anna is seated, so content to see
her daughter that, as Anna sings hosannas,
she does not move her eyes.
her daughter that, as Anna sings hosannas,
she does not move her eyes.
Pa XXXII, 135
.
The references to specific verses of Comedy in the Mona Lisa are almost thirty. These verses are most significant for the understanding of the message encoded in the poem that leads to identify a precise location in the heart of Iceland, where most likely something very important was hidden and waiting to be unearthed.Giancarlo Gianazza
