After I graduated from art school, I went to Italy with a close friend. We spent time in Florence only to find ourselves not wanting to leave. Such a beautiful city. Full of wonderful people. Dante Alighieri was born in the Republic of Florence. He wrote, "I did not die, and yet I lost life's breath." My attempt in this work was less to paint a portrait of Dante... but perhaps more a desire to capture visually, emotionally what he had conveyed verbally. The painting will not be listed for sale until the end of the year.

Added Mar 15, 2023