The Dore Bible Illustrations
Product ID: 1363326
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Nowhere but in the Bible were dramatic textual material and the artistry of Gustave Doré more perfectly matched. The Book of Books seemed to unleash a new power of creation in Doré not apparent in his previous work. In the Creation scenes, the horrifying visions of the Flood, the battle sequences with their monumental crowds, the plates depicting the life of Jesus — many of which have now become the standard iconography — and finally the vision of the New Jerusalem, Doré reached the fullest expressions of his extraordinary talent. This book collects all 241 plates — long out of print — that Doré executed for the Bible. In these plates, reproduced from outstanding early editions, the artist not only captures the dramatic intensity of the Scriptures, but sustains it longer than any other single artist was able to do. In addition, Doré reimagined all the scenes, so that what he produced was not a mere reworking of what centuries of other artists had already done, but a new and fresh visual interpretation of the Bible. Each plate is accompanied by the verses from the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible that the scene depicts, and an Introduction by Millicent Rose covers Doré's life and art in general. This is a sumptuous book that everyone, from those interested in Scripture to lovers of great art, will be proud to possess. Review: excellent reproductions of awesome art - Dover's Dore Bible Illustrations consists of a 5 page introduction, 3 pages for the list of plates, and 241 full page engravings with the title and excerpt of the biblical passage the image represents. Most images are about 8"x10". The old testament, new testament and some of the apocryphal books are represented (in all, 39 books). The reproduction quality is excellent. Upon close inspection, minute artifacts can be seen in most of the engravings. Most often they are tiny white dots in otherwise dark spaces. However, with the extraordinary density of fine lines engraved in every image, flawless pressings may have been nearly impossible. I recommend studying this book with a large magnifying glass. The naked eye doesn't do justice to the almost superhuman effort that went into the artwork. Every plate bears the monogram of both Dore and an assistant, and he clearly needed help to complete the book. Just imagining what it took to finish the book gives me carpal tunnel. Every image is easily readable. Contrast is generally in the medium-high range, and all planes are well-defined. Many plates contain hundreds, even thousands of figures, and creating such large-scale images coherently is a feat in itself. The style Dore employs in his Bible scenes is atypical of the medium. He engraves with a woodcutter's sensibility, giving this book a distinct look. With the exception of a few uses of stippling, every plate consists only of contouring lines of varying density. True white or black spaces are practically nowhere to be found in the entire set; the hand of the artist can be seen everywhere. No shortcuts were taken, and Dore seems to say with his technique that the subject matter is important enough to demand great dedication. After an avalanche of praise, I should note that the book isn't above reproach. Plate 103 shows some highly questionable-looking bears, plate 38 shows a camel that is wildly out of proportion, and plate 14 shows some awkwardly rendered figures. But there's another problem that pervades the series, and that's a lack of complexity. There's not much in the way of symbolism or imagination, and there are no close ups. This is a macroscopic, bird's-eye view of the Bible that's more about events than people, more about style than substance. Dore doesn't seem to have that spark of insight that defines the devotional masterpieces of Durer, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Bernini, Caravaggio, Michelangeo, Holbein, Rubens, Bosch, etc. That said, the book as a whole is immense and impressive, and very well-reproduced by Dover. Highly recommended to anyone interested in art and religion. Review: Sublime work of art and religious iconography - Gustave Dore is an artist without comparison. I cannot think of any artist who created the style for how centuries of people would imagine works like the Bible and Dante's Divine Comedy. He illustrated Paradise Lost, Don Quixote, and even children's fairy tales. Iconic works with icons of such lasting impressions that still today we continue to depict such epic and notable scenes with much the same characteristics. This collection of Dore's Bible illustrations is complete. Every depiction, a full page in size, and even accompanied by a Bible verse, expels his excellence. It is perfection in its minimalism. The image is alone to be poured over and awed at. It is amazing how Dore was able to capture the spiritual essence of the Bible's stories. Each depiction offers a scene where words are no longer necessary. This is a wonderful collection for any one with an interest in art, religious or otherwise.
| Best Sellers Rank | #44,680 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in Religious Arts & Photography #15 in Individual Artists' Books #94 in Art History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 580 Reviews |
A**E
excellent reproductions of awesome art
Dover's Dore Bible Illustrations consists of a 5 page introduction, 3 pages for the list of plates, and 241 full page engravings with the title and excerpt of the biblical passage the image represents. Most images are about 8"x10". The old testament, new testament and some of the apocryphal books are represented (in all, 39 books). The reproduction quality is excellent. Upon close inspection, minute artifacts can be seen in most of the engravings. Most often they are tiny white dots in otherwise dark spaces. However, with the extraordinary density of fine lines engraved in every image, flawless pressings may have been nearly impossible. I recommend studying this book with a large magnifying glass. The naked eye doesn't do justice to the almost superhuman effort that went into the artwork. Every plate bears the monogram of both Dore and an assistant, and he clearly needed help to complete the book. Just imagining what it took to finish the book gives me carpal tunnel. Every image is easily readable. Contrast is generally in the medium-high range, and all planes are well-defined. Many plates contain hundreds, even thousands of figures, and creating such large-scale images coherently is a feat in itself. The style Dore employs in his Bible scenes is atypical of the medium. He engraves with a woodcutter's sensibility, giving this book a distinct look. With the exception of a few uses of stippling, every plate consists only of contouring lines of varying density. True white or black spaces are practically nowhere to be found in the entire set; the hand of the artist can be seen everywhere. No shortcuts were taken, and Dore seems to say with his technique that the subject matter is important enough to demand great dedication. After an avalanche of praise, I should note that the book isn't above reproach. Plate 103 shows some highly questionable-looking bears, plate 38 shows a camel that is wildly out of proportion, and plate 14 shows some awkwardly rendered figures. But there's another problem that pervades the series, and that's a lack of complexity. There's not much in the way of symbolism or imagination, and there are no close ups. This is a macroscopic, bird's-eye view of the Bible that's more about events than people, more about style than substance. Dore doesn't seem to have that spark of insight that defines the devotional masterpieces of Durer, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Bernini, Caravaggio, Michelangeo, Holbein, Rubens, Bosch, etc. That said, the book as a whole is immense and impressive, and very well-reproduced by Dover. Highly recommended to anyone interested in art and religion.
C**N
Sublime work of art and religious iconography
Gustave Dore is an artist without comparison. I cannot think of any artist who created the style for how centuries of people would imagine works like the Bible and Dante's Divine Comedy. He illustrated Paradise Lost, Don Quixote, and even children's fairy tales. Iconic works with icons of such lasting impressions that still today we continue to depict such epic and notable scenes with much the same characteristics. This collection of Dore's Bible illustrations is complete. Every depiction, a full page in size, and even accompanied by a Bible verse, expels his excellence. It is perfection in its minimalism. The image is alone to be poured over and awed at. It is amazing how Dore was able to capture the spiritual essence of the Bible's stories. Each depiction offers a scene where words are no longer necessary. This is a wonderful collection for any one with an interest in art, religious or otherwise.
L**Y
One of a kind
I received the book quickly and it was packed very well. I appreciate the illustrations that are vivid. I would very much purchase from this seller again.
K**A
Great quality
Nice clear, large pictures; one picture per page.
D**R
Visual companion to your Bible reading
Helps me visualize the Bible stories I'm reading and think of them in a different way. Unlike much of European art that portrays the Bible in a European setting, Dore tried to illustrate the stories in the Middle Eastern landscape, clothing, etc. that is more realistic. I have found this to be a useful resource to accompany the Bible stories as I read them.
N**S
Good book, blemish on page of the copy I got
Dore's illustrations are quite beautiful. and this book is a great, reasonably priced collection. I bought this as a gift for a friend. The book did come with a large blemish on one page, though, so I am only giving it four stars. The blemish was a weirdly folded extra long page? It was very strange. It didn't cause any harm to the illustrations though, so I suppose it is fine.
J**E
Epic
Epic
P**R
Fascinating images
Good reproductions of the art, arriving in perfect condition, and quickly. We already are thinking of someone to share it with.
P**N
Impressive bible illustrations
Gustave Doré is a name I never heard of before I ordered this beautiful book, but I already knew many of his beautiful bible illustrations for many years. Made around 150 years ago or so they’re still very impressive. It’s like a movie.
A**N
Magnifique
Offert en cadeau à un ami croyant et pratiquant, l'impression est nickel, le livre est magnifique, grand, et ne comporte quasiment pas de texte. La bible raconté entièrement en image avec les superbes dessins du légendaire Gustave Doré, un ouvrage de qualité.
A**R
Magnifique
Parfait
な**ん
ページからあふれ出てくる力に、圧倒されてみてください。
「ドレの神曲」（宝島社）は、持っていました。 ペーパーバックでも手に入ったんですね。この大きさで、 この価格で、この内容...もう少し早くわかっていれば。 この本は、Doreによる「聖書」の版画物語になります。 まず、 なんといっても この本の大きさ。 この大きさになると、かなりの迫力があります。 それから、もちろん！ Doreの版画のすごさ。 版画というのは、これほど、表現力が豊かなのか。 白と黒だけで、刻まれる線の太さと線と線の間隔だけで、 これほどまでの明と暗が表現できること、 人体が持つ曲線と人物のこまかな表情を表現できること、... 『版画』の魅力に圧倒されました。 しかも、この価格で この世界を堪能できるのです。 Doreの世界に、圧倒されてみてください。
1**0
Bildgewaltiges zum kleinen Preis
Die Illustrationen sind in einer guten Qualität gedruckt und in einem ausreichend großen Band zum häufigen Durchblättern sehr zu empfehlen, wenn einen die Kunst Dores anspricht. Mir gefallen seine Werke fast durchgängig. Ich kann die Serie der Dover Fine Arts nur empfehlen. Erstaunlich, wie detailreich viele (Holz-) Stiche sind.
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