Gustave Doré

GUSTAVE DORÉ (Strasbourg, 1832-Paris,1883).
"The Triumph of the Cross".
Graphite on paper.
With stamp of the artist's atelier in the lower right corner.
With label on the back of the "Exposición de Retratos y Dibujos antiguos y modernos". Barcelona, 1910 (Exhibitor Mariano Fuster. 1862-1929).
Measurements: 55 x 84 cm.

This is a large-format preliminary study for his monumental composition "The Triumph of Christianity over Paganism", a theme that obsessed the author and whose definitive version in oil (1868) would become one of his most internationally acclaimed works.

The drawing reveals Gustave Doré's ability to master epic and compositional dynamism. The composition is articulated by an ascending-descending structure: in the upper center, the figure of Christ bearing the Cross emerges as the axis of divine light, escorted by a heavenly militia of angels. In the lower plane, Doré displays his mastery of the dramatic, representing the fall of the pagan deities -Jupiter, Venus and the figures of classical mythology- who vanish before the advance of Christian dogma.

The use of graphite is here of surgical precision, but charged with the energy of an ideational sketch. The tonal gradations achieved through shading define not only the anatomical volumes, but also an atmosphere of spiritual chiaroscuro that prefigures his famous illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy or the Bible.

Gustave Doré (1832-1883) was an eminent French artist and the most prominent illustrator of the 19th century. Although he cultivated painting and sculpture, his international prestige resides in his engravings for classics such as the Bible, the Divine Comedy, Don Quixote and Paradise Lost.