Catherine Stine's IDEA CITY

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

D is for Gustave DORE, Book Illustrator with Soul

Gustave Dore
Today is D in A to Z Challenge. As part of theme Creative Life I'll talk about the incredible French illustrator, Gustave Dore (1832-1883). This man created engravings for some of the world's most beloved literature: Milton's Paradise Lost, Dante's Divine Comedy, Fables de la Fontaine, Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven and Dore's illustrated Bible.

At the age of five he was noted for pranks, but by fifteen, he was regularly employed as an illustrator in Paris. He's most celebrated as an artist who created dark dreamscapes, as seen in his depictions of Satan, and the eerie pictures in Poe's Raven. He is also a master of landscape as a powerful backdrop for leather-winged angels and demons. He continues to inspire book illustrators-from N. C. Wyeth, to Brian Selznick. Let the illustrations conjure up their own magic for you.
Which is your favorite? Why?
The Raven
Satan from the Divine Comedies


The Hare and the Frogs

Little Red Riding Hood

24 comments:

  1. Wow! His stuff is amazing. Thanks for sharing this wonderful artist! I can't pick a favorite: I love his use of detail in each, and it's also really cool that each piece is so distinctly different.

    Happy A-Z challenge month!

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  2. Wow, thanks for posting this. His engravings really were powerful and darkly beautiful...and morbid as hell, but I like that kind of thing.

    Happy Hump-Day!

    My D: Dark-Horse, Dog Days, Don't Count & More!

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  3. Yes, Jaycee, morbid yet somehow brimming with life! I love that contradiction.

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  4. So cool! I never heard of him so I'm glad to learn something new. I would have to pick the Little Red Riding Hood one just for it's high creep factor. Scary!

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  5. You're right about the contradiction in the illustrations, Catherine. That's what makes them so intriguing.

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  6. Ooo. I'm feeling some intrigue with these paintings. I've seen the Little Red Riding Hood one. Chilling.

    Play off the Page

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  7. These are so good! I like the Hare and the Frogs. That hare just jumps out at me!

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  8. I love the way the raven dominates the landscape, very dramatic, I think I like this the best- difficult choice though\1

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  9. This was such a lovely post :) I'm writing about an illustrator tomorrow! I love the hare and the frogs but I'm not really sure why. It just seems softer, somehow, than the others.

    Thank you for helping me find another great illustrator :)

    Nikki – inspire nordic

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  10. Karen G, I'm with you. I LOVE the Hare and the Frogs. I do like that sad looking Satan as well. Poor devil always gets a bad rap! :)

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  11. What a great D. It was fascinating to learn more of the man behind those famous illustrations.

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  12. I gotta say Satan is glorious. Look at the pain in him is this after he was cast out? When he discovered his loathing for humans or reflection of who he's to become. So gothic so beautiful! Awesome post!

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  13. I think the Little Red Riding Hood illustration captures the inherent darkness of fairy tales. Pretty cool.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  14. I like The Raven. Thanks for introducing us to Dore's work. Great to meet you on the challenge.

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  15. I can't decide between The Raven (love E.A. Poe) and Little Red. Reckon I'll just have to like 'em both!

    Some Dark Romantic

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  16. Thanks for keeping us schooled in the art department, Catherine! His pics are beautiful. I like the hare and the frogs.

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  17. These are amazing, dark and lovely. The Satan one especially.

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  18. the Raven!

    happy A to Z
    baygirl32.blogspot.com

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  19. Thanks, guys! That's 4 votes for the Raven, the Hare and Little Red Riding Hood, and two for Satan.

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  20. Your post sent be scrambling to dig up a catalogue from an exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt years ago re: 'Fantastic Illustration and Design in Britain' to see if he was among the featured artists. Of course he was. I love this kind of art. Re: my favorite -- The Hare and the Frogs (though Little Red Riding Hood is numero one for sentimental reasons.

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  21. Ooh, Little Red Riding Hood has now taken the lead, after your vote, Deb!

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  22. I like his illustrations for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but I haven't looked at his Red Riding Hood stuff. I will have to check that out.

    A-Z @ Elizabeth Twist

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  23. Elizabeth, I'll have to check those Ancient Mariner ones out.

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