First study the painting then read Sveva Caetani's biography.
Who might these monsters of cruelty and envy represent?
Sveva Caetani's Life Story

EXAGGERATION  An image-development strategy used to emphasize a portion or aspect of an image. Note the paintings horrific monster, the huge mounth, the hollow, saucer-size eyes and the pitiful victims between the monster's huge hands. Caetani uses exaggeration to express the evil faces of cruelty and envy. She believed that both these monstrosities humanity dredges from the abyss.

JUXTAPOSITION  Study the position of the two figures in relationship with the father and daughter entering into this hell-realm. Tension between the monsters is created by how the artist arranges them on the page. Follow the travellers into the cave. See how the light leads us from the couple to the insipid snake-like serpent, then forces our our gaze toward the viperous tongue which spits its venom at the the hideous creature and finally our eyes fall upon the wretched human victims. To heighten image tension, the artist uses conplementary colours of red and blue.

TRANSPARENCY  Closely examine the snake. Do you notice the figure inside? Caetani often uses layers of images to create meaning. Also, notice how the father's figure is transparent. In the paintings the father is respresented as a ghost. Before Sveva Caetani began her descent into hell she called upon her father to be her guide. To get more insight into Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy and his journey through hell, purgatory and heaven visit this site The Divine Comedy

ACTIVITY  Write your own interpretation about what is happening in From The Abyss. Relate your ideas to something that happened in real life or that you heard about in the news. Envision this image using exaggeration, juxtaposition and transparency to express your feelings.