This is the third post in our Artist of the Week series.
Paul Gustave Dore lived from 1832 until 1883 in France. Dore got his start as an illustrator a young age with his first illustrated story being published at the age of 15. He continued working as a literary illustrator in Paris for many years earning commissions like The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, the works of Lord Byron and an edition of the Holy Bible.
His illustrations became so popular that in 1867 he had a major exhibition of his work in London. The exhibition led to the founding of the Dore Gallery which was housed on Bond Street. In 1869, Dore got his biggest commission yet when Blanchard Jerrold suggested working together to produce a portrait of London. He was paid £10,000 a year for five years in order to complete the work.
London: A Pilgrimage was published in 1872 and contained 180 engravings. The book received massive commercial and financial success but was widely criticized. Many critics believed that Dore focused too much on the poverty of London and that he was being too inventive instead of just copying what he saw. Despite being unpopular with critics, Dore received widespread popularity and many more commissions from the work. He continued to illustrate books up until his death.
To learn more about Gustave Dore visit WebMuseum or Spartacus.
