This photo confuses me because there are angels in it. I mean, it is terrible that Ugolino and his four sons had to die the way they did, but he did plot treason against his country. So the point of putting angels in this seems very redundant to me.
Love Medicine
Detail of beadwork from an Ojibwe medicine pouch
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Maybe the angels sympathize with him because he was betrayed, plus the fact that Rugierri's (spelling?) punishment is so harsh and disloyal. Also, did Ugolino commit treason, or is he only in Hell to be able to bite Ruggieri's head off?
Well, he did betray his children by letting them die before him.
Both Rugierri and Ugolino committed treason. I think they actually plotted together because Ugolino says that he "trusted him". When he says this I think he means trusted him as like a partner in crime. Then Rugierri inprisoned Ugolino for treason.
The illustration is of Dante's version of the story in which the "sons" are innocent. That's why the angels are there. Not for Ugolino, but for the sons who aren't in hell in Dante's Inferno.
i like the symmetry of the painting. we talked about cannibalism and how its not part of the sins, but i find it interesting how there are angels protecting the children. In a place where everything seems to be sinful, why is cannibalism not one of them? especially against your own children
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