Laudator Temporis Acti

Barbara Reynolds (1914-2015), Dante: The Poet, the Political Thinker, the Man (Emeryville: Shoemaker Hoard, 2006), p. 227:

From his childhood Dante had been familiar with the image of Lucifer in the mosaic decoration of the cupola of the Baptistery in Florence. Work on these mosaics began in the first half of the thirteenth century and continued during Dante’s early years. The design on the cupola consists of an apocalyptic vision of Christ in majesty presiding over the Last Judgement, the angelic hierarchy, events from the Old and New Testaments and scenes of damnation, arranged symmetrically in rectangular segments and culminating in a central triple-octagonal ornamentation. The image of Lucifer dominates a tumultuous scene in which souls of the damned are tormented by demons. Lucifer himself is a grotesque monster, horned and bearded, munching a soul whose legs and buttocks dangle from his mouth. From his ears protrude two snakes, also munching two souls, who dangle face forwards. Lucifer clenches other souls in his hands, held ready for the continuation of his meal. His feet are clamped on yet another two, and demons force others towards him and towards other snakes. A crude representation of his insides shows a soul being digested and about to be excreted. The devouring is thus represented as endlessly continuous.

Illustration (not from the book):