WHO IS GUSTAVE DORÉ?
FATHER OF HORROR,
FATHER OF FANTASY
Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré (6 January 1832 - 23 January 1883) was a French printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravings illustrating classic literature, especially those for the Vulgate Bible and Dante's Divine Comedy. These achieved great international success, and he became renowned for printmaking, although his role was normally as the designer only; at the height of his career some 40 block-cutters were employed to cut his drawings onto the wooden printing blocks, usually also signing the image. He created over 10,000 illustrations, the most important of which were copied using an electrotype process using cylinder presses, allowing very large print runs to be published simultaneously in many countries.
ARTWORK
MY FAVOURITE PIECES
THE VISION OF DEATH
The Vision of Death is a captivating artwork that explores the theme of mortality. It features a figure of Death in a desolate landscape, drawing viewers into a contemplation of life. The painting's eerie atmosphere and attention to detail create a sense of tension and drama, encouraging viewers to confront their own mortality and ponder the mysteries of existence.
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LOCH LOMOND
In 1873, Doré went salmon fishing in Scotland; the trip provided him with inspiration for a series of grand landscapes. A tiny figure in red, on the path at bottom left, provides a colour accent contrasting with the dominant greens of the composition. Doré evoked a vision of the Scottish landscape as sublime and awe-inspiring.
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THE LAST JUDGEMENT
The Last Judgment is a powerful masterpiece that depicts the eternal struggle between good and evil. Doré's use of light and shadow symbolizes the moral complexities of human existence. Overall, the painting invites reflection on our choices and the quest for redemption, offering a profound meditation on life, death, and the judgment of the soul.
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