Dante Alighieri – Possible Photos (AI crafted) + short history of Dante’s portraits

Maybe you’ve never wondered what ancient writers, from the dawn of literature, would look like if they were alive today. Now, with AI, we can even answer questions that no one has ever asked. Possible portraits is such an answer. At a time when literature didn’t mean much (compared to what it would later be), Dante Alighieri was a superstar of his era. Still, what did he look like? Dozens of portraits depict him radically differently. What are the credible sources? Do we have any of the images left from his lifetime? Last but not least: how other artists have imagined Dante – film directors, actors performing verses from his works. The video game makers themselves. And that brings us to our goal: how does the AI envision it? (helped by people telling him over his shoulder what to do and how to do it).

Why did Dante’s nose grow in centuries?

Today, we’re diving into the captivating world of Dante and exploring some fascinating old paintings and drawings that portray him.

Like many other ancient writers, Dante Alighieri was not portrayed during his lifetime. However, some historical images of Dante have been preserved – more or less realistic. The first image was made by Giotto, more than 10 years after the writer’s death.

Dante’s portraits show us a sober man with a rather large nose. But not over measure.

Giotto knew Dante personally, but tried to depict him at a much younger age. The image is not a proper portrait, being reproduced from memory and imagination. In contrast, the other painters and draftsmen who created today’s widely known portraits did not know him personally. For most of them, the source of inspiration was Dante’s death mask, still existing in Florence. Except it’s not an authentic death mask, but a sculpture made two centuries later. However, many other portraits did not even go to this source, but were directly inspired by other paintings. The most influential portrait was the one made by Sandro Botticelli, almost 200 years after Dante’s death.

Iconic

His nose grew in the drawings and representations of later centuries until an iconic, easily recognizable – but unrealistic – image emerged.

One of the most famous images of Dante is the one painted by Domenico di Michelino in 1465. This painting is located in Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore) and depicts the poet in front of his most famous intellectual creation: the inferno (hell) with its circles. Behind Dante, you can see the Dome by Brunelleschi, built almost 200 years later.

Moving forward to the 16th century, we find Dante in a painting by Jacopo Pontorme. Here, Dante is depicted as a robust middle-aged man with a full head of hair.

In the 18th century, Dante was the subject of an oil painting by Francesco Zuccarelli. In this work, Dante is portrayed as a more mature version of Pontorme’s depiction.

Later more, the French graphic artist Gustave Doré produced an illustrated edition of the Divine Comedy, which established a standard, definitive image of Dante.

Other arts

Also, statues of Dante are quite numerous, some of them in historical locations and in large museums. What do they have in common? Almost nothing. Except for a big nose.

Now, let’s switch gears and talk about actors who have played Dante on screen. Renato Piazza brought Dante to life in the 1935 film ‘Dante Alighieri’, while Paolo Gazzara starred in ‘Dante’s Inferno’.

A character in his own work, Dante has been represented in numerous theatrical productions, recitals and performances over time. The actors may or may not have big noses, but they are always dressed in red (a legacy from the paintings of Castagno and Botticelli).

So what would Dante look like if we could meet him on the street today? Here are some possible answers from AI. [see the video bellow]