Dore (1833-1883)left us with an impressive body of work, best known to literature fans today. Above: he did 42 powerful illustrations of Coleridge’s classic poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and 26 imaginative illustrations for, arguably, the most famous American poem, “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe.
He also did a fantastic set of scenes for Dante’s The Divine Comedy and the best illustrations of Dickensian London as well as memorable complementary impressions for the writings of Cervantes, Balzac,Rabelais, and The Bible. His inspired representations enhanced all these literary works and made them come more alive, complete with appropriate edges and atmospheres.