Gustave Dore
Illustrator of dreams and demons
Nobody better than this artist can give a mysterious and deep vitality to chimeras, dreams, nightmares, intangible shapes bathed in light and shade, weirdly caricatured silhouettes, and all the monsters of fantasy.
With this short evocation, the writer, Theophile Gautier, encapsulated the strange and haunting affect of Gustave Dore’s illustrations. Perhaps it was his popularity and appeal to the masses, that caused the critics of his time to remain sceptical of his artistry. A straightforward case of snobbery. No doubt, also damned for being ridiculously prolific. Yet he was not only widely acclaimed by the general public but also by many writers and fellow artists. Seeing his illustrations for Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner inspired the writer HP Lovecraft, and became an influence when writing some of his iconic horror stories.
Gustave Dore was born in Strasbourg, France in 1832. Throughout his career he became known as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, caricaturist and sculptor. Perhaps he is best…
