Dimensions
209 x 279 x 7mm
The exuberant art of Gustave Dore (1832-83) has influenced romantics and realists around the world. A self-taught child prodigy who met with early and resounding success, Dore ranks among the most prolific and popular illustrators of all time. Known as ""the master of the fantastic,"" he excelled in conveying dramatic action in memorable settings. This original collection assembles for the first time Dore's best work depicting knights and their adventures. It features eighty-six captivating scenes of battles, damsels, dragons, and other images from the Age of Chivalry.Advances in science and technology introduced irrevocable changes to the society of Dore and his contemporaries and aroused a nostalgia for simpler times. The moral certitude and stability embodied in Arthurian myths and other medieval romances proved as appealing to Victorians as they do to modern audiences. This collection features highlights from eight volumes that span more than two decades of Dore's career, including scenes from Tennyson's Idylls of the King. Other sources include Don Quixote, Orlando Furioso, Rabelais' The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel, and Michaud's History of the Crusades.