Gustave Doré Series

Gustave Doré was the most popular and successful French book illustrator of the mid-19th century. He became widely known for his illustrations of seminal works, helping to establish the large-format illustrated book across Europe. His art is characterized by a spirited, if somewhat naive, appreciation for the grotesque, commercializing the Romantic fascination with the bizarre. Later, his more sober studies of London's poorer quarters captured the attention of van Gogh, signaling a shift towards more grounded observation.