The Dore Gallery: His 120 Greatest Illustrations

by Gustave Doré, Carol Belanger Grafton (Editor)

This superb compilation showcases the art of Gustave Doré, one of the nineteenth century's most prolific and successful book illustrators. Brimming with stunning images created to accompany the world's greatest literature, this volume compiles the very finest and most famous plates from Doré's work.
Scores of magnificent, finely wrought engravings feature such dramatic and powerful scenes as Don Quixote tilting at windmills, Christ driving the money-changers from the temple, Moses destroying the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, and Charon rowing his ferry to the gates of Hell. Sources include immortal stories ranging from Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Divine Comedy to Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Poe's "The Raven," and more than a dozen other books.
For graphic artists and designers, this collection will provide an outstanding assortment of royalty-free images. For lovers of art and literature, these inspired plates will provide the definitive imagery of a host of literary classics.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Anthologies, France, Historical

119 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

The most popular and successful French book illustrator of the mid 19th century. Doré became very widely known for his illustrations to such books as Dante's Inferno (1861), Don Quixote (1862), and the Bible (1866), and he helped to give European currency to the illustrated book of large . He was so prolific that at one time he employed more than forty blockcutters. His work is characterized by a rather naïve but highly spirited love of the grotesque and represents a commercialization of the Romantic taste for the bizarre. Drawings of London done in 1869-71 were more sober studies of the poorer quarters of the city and captured the attention of van Gogh. In the 1870s he also took up painting (doing some large and ambitions religious works) and sculpture (the monument to the dramatist and novelist Alexandre Dumas in the Place Malesherbes in Paris, erected in 1883, is his work).

Reviews

[Sara Alaee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from the publisher's notes:
Gustave Doré was the most popular and successful French book illustrator of the mid 19th century. Drawing designs on the woodblocks directly, he executed thousands of engravings, each one a splendid example of his skill and imagination. His copious works enjoyed worldwide sales. The plates included in this book were compiled from some of the following Doré books: Cervantes’s Don Quixote (1863), Milton’s Paradise Lost (1866), The Holy Bible (1866), Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (1867–68), Michaud’s History of the Crusades (1877), and a dozen others. This superb collection contains 120 of Doré’s greatest illustrations. Executed with remarkable precision and attention to detail, the illustrations reproduced here were selected from seventeen of Doré’s most successful books.

Some of my favorite illustrations from this book:

DON QUIXOTE: THE ATTACK ON THE WINDMILL


MOSES BREAKING THE TABLES OF THE LAW


AND GOD SAID: LET THE WATERS GENERATE / REPTILE WITH SPAWN ABUNDANT, LIVING SOUL; / AND LET FOWL FLY ABOVE THE EARTH (VII. 387-389).


THE GIANTS—NIMROD


RICHARD THE LION-HEART AND SALADIN AT THE BATTLE OF ARSUF


DOUBTING, DREAMING DREAMS NO MORTAL EVER DARED TO DREAM BEFORE...

[Traveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has examples of Doré's illustrations from the following pieces of literature :




La Fontaine - Wolf Turned Shepard



Orlando Furioso



Idylls of the King - Enid



Holy Bible - The Formation of Eve



Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven

His play with light and shadow is marvelous, isn't it? Sometimes even reminiscent of Rembrandt...

Enjoy!

[Mohammad Ali Shamekhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب گزیده ای است از طرح های گوستاو دوره برای کتاب های کلاسیک - مثل کتاب مقدس، کمدی الهی دانته، بهشت گمشده ی میلتون و ... . این طرح ها در واقع با نوع خاصی از چاپ و با کمک کنده کاری چوپ - به عنوان پذیرنده ی جوهر - مقدور شده اند و از همین رو نباید آنها را نقاشی به معنای رایج کلمه دانست

بخش های مربوط به "یهودی سرگردان"، "دون کیشوت"، "آتالا"، "کتاب مقدس"، "کمدی الهی"، "زیارت لندن" و "تاریخ جنگ های صلیبی" چیزهای جالبی درشون بود و حتی چند مورد شاهکار واقعی - مثلا در دون کیشوت

[Marquise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a "must have" for any art lover, especially those who adore old-school illustrations, amongst which I count myself. Dorè's art is astonishingly good, and he doesn't even need to use colour to make them more appealing. His work looks like how those classic grand oil paintings would if you took the colour away.

My personal favourites were the Don Quixote collection, Charlemagne's Vision, the Bible illustrations and his Paradise Lost ones (his best work, in my opinion) and the Idylls of the King pieces. I think I'll buy some printed reproductions to hang on my walls or put beside my table.

[فؤاد · Rating 4 out of 5]

فعلاً یه نگاه سریع بهش انداختم. نقاشی ها خیلی خوب بودن. بعضیاش رو قبلاً دیده بودم (نقاشی های دون کیشوت خیلی معروف هستن، همین طور یکی از نقاشی های بهشت گمشده که فرشته ها رو نشون میده که گرد هم پرواز میکنن)
بعداً باز باید با دقت بیشتر ببینم.
ممنون از دوستانی که معرفی کردن.

[Andrew Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful engravings by Gustave Doré. I could believe that these images outshined some of the stories/tales that they were paired with but they also make me want to read some of the tales associated with them. This would be a good coffee table piece to showcase for company.

[Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doré's works have such a force to them. Striking and sublime, they perfectly fit, and sometimes elevate, the source material. The collection includes relevant quotes, setting the atmosphere with a line or two.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of the master of illustration.

[Tamim wn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gustave Doré, what a genius! This book is a compilation of 120 of his best masterpieces. Those who are enthusiasts of ink-and-pen art style must read this book.

[Martyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can you say? It’s a book of Doré illustrations - one of the most talented and influential artists of the past few hundred years.
The work is brilliant, but while the information contained in the notes is titillating, I wish there was more. And so, more books must I find. Onward!

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Azam Jafari]

azs

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should definitely be more than 120, but it's a great collection. I'm glad they printed it in this large size so the viewer can really enjoy the pictures.

[Caio Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gênio gênio gênio.

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
The illustrations were amazing but some were scary and not of my taste.