From The British Quarterly Review. THE GENIUS AND THE WORKS OF GUS TAVE DORE.* M. GUSTAVE DORE has appealed to the judgment of the English public in a manner * (1.) Milton's Paradise Lost. Illustrated with large original Designs by GUSTAVE DORE. With notes by ROBErt Vaughan, D. D. (2, 3, 4.) Elaine, Vivien, and Guenevere. By AL FRED TENNYSON. Illustrated by GUSTAVE DORE. Imperial 4to, elegant cloth binding, 27 steel plates. (6.) Dante's Inferno. English Translation by CA REY; 76 plates. (7.) De Chateaubriand. Atala. Edition de luxe, avec 44 Dessins par G. DORE. (8.) Atala. Translated into English. Illustrated by G. DORE, Crown Folio. (9.) La Fontaine: Fables, Illustrées par G. DORE, de plus de 300 Dessins. (10.) Cassell's Illustrated Book of Fables; La Fontaine, with Illustrations by GUSTAVE DORE. Translated by W. Thornbury. (11.) Cervantes Saavedra. L'Ingenieux hidalgo don Quichotte de la Manche. Trad. par L. Viardot; 370 Dessins de G. DORE. a French artist. His illustrations of some unusual, if not entirely unprecedented, for Italian, and Spanish literature have been of the masterpieces of standard French, reproduced, as adornments of English translations of the works of La Fontaine, Dante, and Cervantes, issued in a style new to our literature. Our great national epic poem, and the version given by Mr. Tennyson of our old Arthurian legends, have been directly illustrated by M. Dore Finally, after producing designs in illustrafor English libraries and drawing-rooms. tion of the works of various authors, without parallel, as to their numbers, in the history of art, he has devoted the leisure task of educating himself as a painter, and earned by his indefatigable pencil to the has brought candidly and frankly before us his first essays in his new course. Having been sneered at by certain English journalists as a mere clever book illustrator, the French artist has undertaken not only (12.) Don Quixote. By Cervantes. With about to show that he is something more, but, 400 Illustrations by GUSTAVE Dore. (13.) The Legend of the Wandering Jew. Twelve large Designs by GUSTAVE DORE. Large Folio. (14) Croque Mitaine and the Times of Charlemagne. Illustrated throughout by G. DORE. Text freely rendered from the French by Toм HOOD. (15.) The Adventures of Munchausen. Illustrated by G. DORE. (16.) The Fairy Realm. A collection of the favourite old Tales, told in verse. By TOM HOOD. lustrated by full page Engravings by G. DORE. (17.) Saintine's Mythologie du Rhin. signs by DORE. 1 Vol., large 8 vo. (18.) Saintine's Chemin des Ecoliers. Ilustrated by DORE, with more than 440 Designs. 1 Vol:, large With De which is more to the purpose, to make himself something more. At the season when London was most crowded, and when the latest works of all English, and of a hundred and twenty French and Flemish artists were brought before the public in various exhibitions, M. Dore opened a galIl-lery of his own, and covered the walls of a large room with proofs that, after attaining wealth by his pencil, he had resumed his toils in pursuit of fame. He thus appears as commencing a new labour, and originating a new style and method of painting, after his arrival at the position which is generally regarded as the goal of a fortunate artist. It is evident that such a man as this claims a very special and re(22.) Exhibition at the German Gallery, 168, New spectful attention; first, as due to his apBond-street, of Pictures and Drawings. By M. Gus-peal to our judgment; and, secondly, as 8vo. (19.) Taine's Voyage aux Pyrenees. With 350 Designs by DORE. Royal 8vo. (20.) About's Roi des Montagnes. 158 Vignettes, by G. DORE. (21.) Gustave Dore. Exhibition of Paintings. Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. Seventh Edition. TAVE DORE. 1868. (23) Пl Purgatorio ed il Paradiso, di Dante Alighieri, colle figure di GUSTAVE DORE. Parigi. 1868. (24.) Dante's Purgatorio and Paradise. English Translation by CAREY. 60 Plates. (25.) Enid. By ALFRED TENNYSON. Illustrated by GUSTAVE DORE. Of the above works, the French editions are published by Messrs. L. Hachette et Cie, 77, Boulevard, St. Germain, Paris, and 18, King William Street, Strand, London. The 'Idylls of the King' are published by Messrs. Moxon, 44, Dover Street, Piccadilly, and the Paradise Lost' and the remaining English editions are published by Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, London and New York. suggestive of the inquiry, to what degree of excellence may an artist attain, who will subject himself to the pain of commencing a re-formation of his style, at a period of artistic life at which other men are apt to lay aside the brush. It is, therefore, with the respectful courtesy due to an eminent foreign guest, and with the modesty demanded from the critic of the works of the most prolific and exuberant designer who has yet handled the pencil, that we shall endeavour to indicate | merit, as they were considerable in numsome of the characteristics of the works of ber, has been reproduced in this country M. Dore. To apportion blame, especially by a publishing house which has, perhaps, for grave faults, ought at all times to be an done more than any other to popularize unwelcome duty. But the marked and sound instruction, and to disseminate the rapid increase in excellence which is dis- principles of good taste among the masses. cernible in the workmanship of this artist In bringing out a very splendid edition of is such as to lead to the conviction that he the English Bible, which, whatever its himself will be the first to welcome the positive merit, is at all events a consideracomments of impartial, and not ill-natured, ble advance upon its precursors, these pubcriticism. Even in the original department lishers simply carry out a commercial specof book illustration, the increase in deli-ulation. In what mode those whom Mr. cacy of touch, without any loss of the origi- Ruskin politely designates as the lower nal grim and fantastic humour, which may Evangelicals' got their Bible dishonbe remarked in comparing the vignettes of oured,' how their evil design was imparted his Contes Drolatiques with those of the to Messrs. Cassell, and how the whole conChemin des Ecoliers- a book illustrated by spiracy was wrought out to its accomplishthe joint labours of M. Dore and Mr. Birkett ment, we shall perhaps learn from some Foster is very remakable. new illustration of that time and tide' A competent and impartial criticism of which, unlike those of Canute, are exthe genius and the work of M. Doré is pected to turn at one man's self-authorized rendered more desirable from the nature voice. If Mr. Ruskin be at all correct in the of some of the attacks to which that artist statement that the central requirement of has been subjected. A writer who (until he education consists in giving habits of genabdicated every shadow of a right to take tleness and justice,' we fear that such anhis seat on the judicial bench, by his dis-gry snarls show that his education is yet to tinct claim to the privilege, long practically commence. abused by him, of continual self-contradiction) was considered an authority on mat-ity as the subject will allow, first to give a ters pertaining to art, has furiously attacked the reputation of M. Dore, rather, it would seem, on the score of the immoral tendency of the tales of Balzac, than on any principles of criticism. Still, the assailant speaks of these very illustrations as "full of power and invention." The temper and judgment which lend weight to the expression of Mr. Ruskin's opinion on Dore's artistic merit may be judged of The first and most unprecedented pecufrom the following passage: - It is to my liarity of M. Dore, as an artist, is the wonmind quite as significant, almost as awful, derful fecundity of his genius. Of good, a sign of what is going on in the midst of bad, or indifferent, no painter or designer us, that our great English poet' (meaning has ever produced so much. In 1862, the Tennyson) should have suffered his work enumeration of his designs was carried up to be thus contaminated, as that the lower to 44,000. He was then twenty-nine years Evangelicals, never notable for sense in old. If he had commenced, what he modthe arts, should have got their Bibles dis-estly calls the book-illustration business, at honoured.' Accuracy of statement, purity of English, delicacy of expression towards fellowChristians, are equally noticeable (by their absence) in this modest piece of so-called criticism. A series of illustrations to the French Bible, varying, to some extent, in It will be our object, with as much brev careful estimate of the artistic merit and genius of M. Dore, pointing out not only the excellencies which have so many admirers, but the faults which, if uncorrected, go far to depreciate those excellencies; and, secondly, to glance at some of the most noteworthy of that series of illustrations, in which he has given us so many a new reading of so many an old tale. the age of ten, he must have executed between six and seven designs a day to arrive at this total. It is true that many, especially of his earliest, sketches, are extremely slight, and that evidence of haste and want of finish is apparent in many of his most striking productions. But what is the crea tive power of such a mind? How rarely a want of mechanical instinct, at times spoils does he, even unconsciously, plagiarize; an otherwise beautiful design. The reprehow rarely repeat himself? How often sentation of the infant Moses in the ark of does he throw an entirely new light on some bulrushes is a striking instance of this deancient fable, terse proverb, or venerable fect. The shadowy presence of the angel, parable? In that which we do not hesitate brooding over the ancient river,— the helpto pronounce his finest work, the illustra-less innocence of the babe committed to its tions of La Fontaine, we have examples at waters,-awaken the admiration. But when once of the fertility of his genius and of the you reflect that the weight of the child manner in which his fancy carries on the life would have plunged its frail cradle deeper and action of its creations. We find scenes in the water, and that to the dangers of represented that differ from one another by floating out to sea, and of being devoured only a few minutes in point of time, as in by crocodiles on the route, is unnecessarily L'avare qui a perdu son trésor; the one a added by the artist the certain mishap of mere sketch, the other a finished picture. the oversetting of the barque, the picture is In repetitions of this kind we find evidence spoiled. This is the case both in the enof study of the subject resembling the pa- graved illustration in the Bible, and in the tient labour of the great Italian masters. painting exhibited in Bond-street, although But while the painter throws aside all his they are distinct designs. A similar resketches when he has once decided on his mark applies to the lofty floating bier on design, as in the case of the repeated draw- which the body of Elaine is conducted by ing by Raphael of the figure of Christ for the dumb boatman. The effect of height, the cartoon of the miraculous draught of which is so admirable in some scenes where fishes, the very chips and shreds of imagina- camels are introduced, is inappropriate tion are utilized by the publishers of illus- where flotation has to be considered. The trated books. While then, for the perma- imagination of the observer, however unnent fame of the artist, it is better to pro- scientific, would have been far more powduce less, and to study more, for the educa- erfully affected if the vessels had been, as tion of the student, it is more important to would have been the case in nature, plunged treasure every scrap, and to see how the art- deeply in the water. ist has looked at the same scene from different points of view, as in the exquisite groups of La Cigale et la Fourmi, or the double illustration of Le Loup et l'Agneau. Again, in such scenes as the death of Samson, mechanical instinct is outraged, and the relation between cause and consequence is reduced to the absurd. The efIt should here be remarked, that the the- fect of the possible displacement is unmeory broached by an English assailant of M. chanical, and the mode in which the falling Dore, to the effect that the great number of building is represented is unnatural. If M. his works has been attained by a distribu- Dore were to study some great military detion of labour, or in other words, that pu-molition, the execution of such a work as pils and assistants manufactured designs, the blasting of the Shakspeare Cliff, or even in which but little came from the brush of the nominal author, is totally contrary to fact. M. Dore distinctly asserts that every line and touch in his designs is the work of his own hand. Any competent critic might have felt sure that this was the case, but it is right to state it distinctly, which we do on the personal authority of M. Dore. the description of a similar catastrophe, such as that which is given us by Scott in the fall of the tower in Woodstock,' he would avoid a fertile source of error. A very curious instance of the manner in which careful observation in one respect has been combined with want of thought, or of instinctive mechanical sense, in another, To commence with those unquestionable may be seen in the spirited scene representfaults in the workmanship of M. Dore which ing the hewing of timber in Lebanon for are likely to escape any but the educated the building of the temple of Solomon. critic, and which have most likely escaped The trees are magnificent, the stir and mothe attention of the artist himself; a want tion of the workmen is instinct with life. of observance of mechanical law, or perhaps | But the practised woodman would at once tably ensued. We have not space to pursue the subject, but it will be of the greatest value to the future progress of M. Dore, if he will take the pains to do so for himself. detect the impossibility that trees of such of the figures. No workmen would ever giant girth should have been, as their have brought two teams into such close smooth section evinces, sawn down. They juxtaposition. Mischief would have inevimust have been loosened and hewn at the roots, and then toppled over by ropes acting on the leverage furnished by their height. The axe would have been laid to the root of the tree.' The contrast is more noticeable from the fact that all the workmen have axes, and that there are no saws to be seen. The same smooth section of a trunk, with even less excuse, appears in the last plate in Vivien.' The oak is evidently blown down Tennyson's storm only struck and furrowed it-its leaves are quivering in the storm, but its trunk is neatly sawn across. This is mere inadvertence, but it spoils the picture-spoils the picture in the Bible, that is to say, for the illustration of the Idyll is, to our taste, as unpleasing as is the close of the poem itself. The undignified and vulgar form of Merlin, his position on a felled tree instead of within a hollow trunk, the action of the wind on the leaves and branches of the fallen oak, while those of the standing timber are unconscious of the storm, greatly overpower the effect of the distant landscape, and of the weird and evil form of Vivien, who glides like a malignant spirit from the spot. M. Dore owes it to his fame to acquire some elementary knowledge of geology. In his mountain scenery, we have often to lament an evident unacquaintance with the phenomena of stratification. The same amount of labour, the same effect of light and shade, would have been immeasurably more happy in their results by means of slight alterations in the direction of the lines indicating the joints and beds. We have often pictures of mountains that are almost photographic in the truth. The result must be due to the happy scenic memory of the artist's eye. But when he leaves portraiture for design, the want of this humble but sure guide to the limner becomes at times cruelly apparent. Thus the dark masses of cliff in the Finding of the Infant Arthur' produce, at the first glance, an effect that is entirely destroyed when you regard the unnecessary lines, which convert what ought to be cliffs of blue or black slate rock into a mass of undistinguishable confusion. In In the Atala we have the same curious cavern scenery, again, which, for the most oversight. In the sombre depth of the part, is a characteristic feature of limestone forest, where the daughter of Simaghan is formations, an acquaintance with the stepped represented as addressing a fervent prayer and coursed rifting of most of these strata, to La Reine des Vierges, she kneels against or with the actual lie of the mountain limethe trunk of an oak which has been accu- stone beds, would have enabled the artist rately sawn from its base, of which latter to present us with a real cave, where he no trace is to be seen in the picture, so that has sometimes introduced us merely to a the tree appears to have been not only stage cavern. felled, but transported. In the vignette of the Indian place of sepulture the same anomaly recurs; and in the recesses of a grand bois des sapins, in the mountains between Florida and Kentucky, we are shown the stump of a pine tree, not only sawn across, but sawn in a manner that is physically impossible, owing to the projection of several vertical splinters. This fault recurs in La Forêt et le Bûcheron in the fables. In two other plates in the same beautiful volume of Atala, the characteristic incident of an uprooted tree is very naturally represented as far as regards the trunk and roots, but there is no mark of the disturbance of the soil, no such evidence of the mighty wrench as might have served, more than almost any other natural indication, to present to the imagination a proof of the fury of the storm. Again, in the Lebanon scene, is an oversight that spoils the vivid life and movement It may for a moment strike the reader who is unfamiliar with heraldry as hypercritical, to remark, that M. Dore does further injustice to his genius by neglecting to acquire some elementary knowledge of this subject. The profuse display of tabards and badges in some of the grotesque scenes will be found, on examination, not to oppose, but to confirm, this criticism. Very often an heraldic indication, true to date, and true to person, may give wonderful verisimilitude to a scene. The blazon on the shield over the fireplace in the chamber of the Sleeping Beauty is weak and unmeaning. So is the indication of the escutcheon on the exterior of the palace, The lion in the arms over the gateway of the duke's castle in Don Quixote' ramps to the sinister, and the introduction over this sculpture of the royal lilies on a shield borne by an angel is altogether anomalous. Omissions may well be pardoned by those who are unskilled in the gentle science, but no excuse can be offered for the fact that M. Dore has represented, as sculptured on the walls of Almesbury, in the reign of Arthur, the modern arms of Great Britain. They are not the Welsh dragon, nor the white horse of Hengist, nor the cross and martlets of the Confessor, not the two lions of the Norman conqueror, not the three lions of the sons of Eleanor of Aquitaine, not even the quartering of France and England assumed by Edward the Third, but the bearing first quartered by George the First, including the escutcheon of the kingdom of Hanover! It is curious that no critic has hitherto detected either of the above startling blots. of the artist; but you feel that it may distract your attention from that of the poet whose work he adorns. It must be admitted that the only instances in which M. Doré can be justly accused of a careless departure from the text which he illustrates, are to be found in the Milton or in the Idylls, a fact which allows us to trace the error to its actual source-imperfect acquaintance with the English tongue. M. Dore has been accused, somewhat unjustly, of repetition and of mannerism. The chief reason for this charge is to be detected in the enormous multiplicity of his designs. In Nature herself, we find skies, and landscapes, and picturesque situations that recall one another to the mind. But the number of scenes that the memory collects from nature, with any vivid distinctness, is few, in comparison to the forty or fifty thousand views which M. Dore places before us almost side by side. In that numerous group of drawings, which are produced in his own original and peculiar mode of working for the wood engraver, we must of course find some similar scenes; but this mode of treatment is only one, out of several which are practised, or have been invented, by Doré. Ever fertile originality is far more charac teristic of the artist than self-repetition. Another point, one rather affecting the author's character as illustrator than as artist, is less a subject for unmingled blame. It is the want of coincidence between the illustration and the subject illustrated. In such a scene as the Sin and Death' in the 'Paradise Lost,' one cannot help feeling that M. Dore has not read, or not understood, the passage of the poet. The last plate of the Vivien,' already referred to, is a similar case. At times, indeed, the design of the artist is so admirable that we must pardon him for the crime of original genius. The wizard in the cave scene in Vivien' is There is, however, connected with this a case in point. The picture is admirable, part of the subject, a rare peculiarity in the the light and shade (despite a slight geolog- imagination of M. Dore, a peculiarity which ical weakness) most happy, the figures of tends either to excellence or to the reverse, the royal messengers noble and appropriate, as the case may be. That is the FIDELITY and the wizard all that the imagination could oF HIS IMAGINATIVE MEMORY. When he desire. But he is not the glassy-headed, has once thought out a character, it assumes hairless man' of Tennyson. He has a Car- a dramatic vitality that is permanent. You melite beard, and long sparse locks on a can never mistake the personage, for the partially bald head. By himself he is fault-artist never forgets him. Thus, when a less, and it would be better to alter the text noble conception has once been formed, it than the illustration, but still they do not is permanent; but, when an inadequate idea fit. has once been invested with pictorial form, In the finest of M. Dore's works, the it is no less enduring. This we see very Fables of La Fontaine,' this want of par- strikingly displayed in the animals. Dore's allelism is prepense. The artist gives lions, horses, dogs, most of his birds, some another version of the fable, of which the of his reptiles, are perfect; his foxes, wolves, French poet was himself only an adapter. and bears, are, for the most part, very inThis is legitimate subject for debate. An ferior; his pigs, generally speaking, have objector may say that the graceful and des- been taken from the stye and not from the olate stroller at the door of the careful peas- beech forests. But bring him face to face ant mother is not an illustration of the poem with a bettermost sort of pig, like the brown La Cigale et la Fourmi. It is true. It is Spanish vagabonds in his Fortune Teller,* another and a parallel poem. Poet and and the animals all but grunt. One would painter have each given a version of a moral fancy that his first studies of those creatures. far older than either. We give the palm to the forms of which he is less happy in dethe painter. He has drunk more deeply of picting, were made from stuffed specimens, the spirit of ancient wisdom than has the and that the stuffed beasts ever after lived writer. Still it cannot be denied that, how-in his mind. ever superior to mere illustration, this style of rendering is not exact illustration. You are often called on to admire the conception The same rule holds in his human impersonations. His Lancelot, in the hall of the Castle of Astolat, is, to our mind, much of |