Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

Gustave Doré was a prolific French artist, illustrator, caricaturist and sculptor. He illustrated many books including works by Byron, Edgar Allan Poe, Tennyson, Coleridge and Milton. His images for Cervantes' Don Quixote are particularly well known and have influenced depictions of the characters ever since. In 1867 Doré held an exhibition of his work in London which led to the foundation of the Doré Gallery in Bond Street. 

"Je n’ai pas su, Messieurs, si ce dessin était bien accepté

par vous et j’en suis resté là."

 

("I didn’t know, gentlemen, if the drawing was acceptable

to you and I left it there.") 

There are two letters written by Gustave Doré in the Sampson Low collection. In this letter written in May 1866, he addresses a commission by a Mr Gowland to produce a drawing. Doré hasn't heard whether he should go ahead with the drawing and asks for confirmation. The subject of the drawing is 'Gilliatt's fight with the Monster' from the novel 'Les Travailleurs de la Mer' written by Victor Hugo. A first English translation 'Toilers of the Sea', was published in 1867 by Harper & Bros. New York, and was illustrated with two engravings by Doré. Sampson Low acted as the British literary agent and bookseller for American publishers Harper & Bros. 

View Gustave Doré's letter [opens in a new window] 

Image Rights: © National Portrait Gallery London by Lock & Whitfield woodburytype circa 1877 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/