The Pictorial Arts: Witch Hut

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Gustave Doré — Witch Hut

Larry MacDougall said...: Nice ! Now that's a place I would like to see the inside of. Thanks Thom.; October 27, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Thomas Haller Buchanan said...: Larry, I love illustration that makes me want to see beyond the surface. What's over that hill? What's inside that room? What secrets are waiting to be discovered?; October 27, 2011 at 11:36 AM
Uncle Ernie said...: Do you think that name Sojain (?) is the engraver or the publisher ? This has a freer style of engraving Dore's art than I usually see. The looser style is nice.; October 27, 2011 at 4:10 PM
Thomas Haller Buchanan said...: Hi Uncle Ernie! Yes, the engraver usually signed the art along with Doré. And in fact Doré employed a small army of engravers over the years, allowing him to be tremendously prolific. Skilled as an engraver himself, he would train talented apprentices to engrave just so. Steel engraving were expensive, thus many of Doré's illustrations were wood engravings. Much of the time Doré drew directly on the woodblocks and trusted the skills of the engravers that had worked with him long enough to earn the right to sign the work as well.

Many of Doré's smaller vignettes did indeed have a looser, almost sketchy look to them. Those and the formal works are full of wonder. What an amazing illustrator he was.

I haven't seen much written about details of the lives of his engravers. If anyone has a source for that info, I'd love to know it.; October 27, 2011 at 5:21 PM