Artist Recreates Dante’s Inferno With 40,000 Lego Bricks

One doesn’t have to be an expert in 14th century literature to enjoy or even understand what’s going on in Mihai Marius Mihu‘s Lego recreations of Dante’s Inferno from The Divine Comedy. The Romanian artist used 40,000 Lego bricks and admits he’s no aficionado in the epic poem about the author’s journey through the nine levels of hell, but this was purposely done on Mihu’s part. According to him, “I didn’t want to be much influenced by the original descriptions because I wanted to give a whole new fresh approach for each circle. I thought more about the significance of titles and from then on it was only my imagination.” We didn’t know one of our favorite toys could represent such dark, morose scenes but we’d say his interpretation is pretty spot-on…but that’s coming from those who know more about Legos than Dante’s Inferno.

I. LIMBO: “A place of monotony, here the souls are punished to wander in restless existence while they moan helplessly in echoes between the ruins of a temple.”

II. LUST: ‘Surrounded by erotic representations, those overcome by lust are forced to watch and experience disgusting things, ultimately being condemned to drown in the menstrual river.’

III. GLUTTONY: ‘The circle itself is a living abomination, a hellish digestive system revealing horrific faces with mouths ready to devour the gluttons over and over for eternity.’

IV. GREED: ‘This pompous place is reserved for the punishment of the greedy ones.’

V. ANGER: ‘In this depressing place the souls are trapped in the swamp, they can’t move and they cannot manifest their frustration which is making them even more angry.’

VI. HERESY: ‘The giant demon watches closely over his fire pit, dwarfing the damned that are dragging the new arrivals in the boiling lava. Those who committed the greatest sins against God are getting a special treatment inside the temple where they are doomed to burn for eternity in the scorching flames.’

VII. VIOLENCE: ‘A place of intense torture where the horrific screams of the damned are eternally accompanied by the hellish beats of drums.’VIII. FRAUD: ‘In Fraud the Demons enjoy altering the shape of souls, this is how they feed.’

VIII. FRAUD: ‘In Fraud the Demons enjoy altering the shape of souls, this is how they feed.’

IX.TREACHERY: ‘Lucifer lies here chained by the Angelic Seal which keeps him captive in the frozen environment.’