Benjamin Franklin — Marble Bust

This sculpture captures the moment of extreme agony from Dante's 'Inferno', where Count Ugolino contemplates consuming his own children to survive starvation while imprisoned. The central figure sits in a tense, hunched posture, his hands pressed against his mouth in a gesture of profound psychological torment. The surrounding bodies of the children are intertwined with his, emphasizing their tragic, claustrophobic plight.

The work reflects the enduring influence of Dante Alighieri’s 'Divine Comedy' on Western philosophical and artistic inquiries into the limits of human morality, suffering, and the corruption of the soul. It serves as a visual meditation on the 'Inferno' tradition, which explores the darkest reaches of human nature.