, 1874-08-09
DORE AND HIS WORKS.

DORE AND HIS WORKS..
| An American woman,s Visit to the
| Great French Artist.
Mrs, T.. H. Hooper contributes the following
interesting accouus OF visit to Gustave Dore to
| AppEetons' Journal:
| twas upon day Of almost tropical heat that
our party set of to pay our long-antlclpated Wis
! it to the studio Of GnBtaro Dole. Furnished
| with letter from personal friend OF the great
artist. We promised ourselves no less pleasure in
our introduction to him than from an inspection
Of his latest pictures. It IS always Keen source
| Of qualification to me to behold the creator Of
any great work Of art which has filed my soul
with delight and thoroughly gratifed my tastes !;
and so, having appreciated and delighted in the
genius OF Dore, from the moment that tho
| " "Wandering Jew" the first OF his works that
| gained universal acceptance iu America was laid
] before me-, it was With considerable cagerness
I that looked forward to the coming interview.
| Hot and white aud silent lay the Rue Bayard un-
| der the noenday sun a. We drove up to the door
| OF No. and Inquired il its mater wore at home.
| "Monsieur IL not here yet" answered the
! courteous concierge; sbut will the ladies' and
gentlemen give themselves tie trouble to como
| in? He will return directly, and meanwhile
| they can amuse themselves by looking 1t the
| pictures"
| He unlocked and threw open an inner door
| as he spoke. We entered in response to his ln-
| vitaton ard found ourselves in the studio Of
| Gustava Dore.
| It il soure room OF hugo dimensions, lighted
by skylight, aud sufficiently lofty to accummo-
date the gigantic cauraaes whereon the artist il
| accustomed to work out his yAst conceptions.
A square movable platform on wheels, adapted
| to bo raised or lowered at pleasure. stood
in the centre OF the room. 1t il on this
that Dore stands when at wo.k On one OF
! the colossal pictures which seem to spring into
being so readily beneath his skillful aud rapid
brush. A tablo loaded with brushes OF every
dimension, from the most delicate pencil to &
huge ogergrown mushroom Of hair, another
s.rewed with books, all bearing the inscription,
ITO u. Gustave D0re, with compliments Of the
author" and with papers, letters. and visiting
cards, and scraps Of drawings Job. how my fin
| gers ltcncd to appropriate one Of these last J,
few Chairs, and sofa made up the furniture.
No scraps OF bric-a brac, no pieces OF old armor
or antique furniture, NJ ny-6gures or lengths Of
colored drapery, the usual picturesque litter OF
an artists etudio, visible. The foot slipped
| upon d polished flooring guiltiess OF carpet.
Huge green curtains, inteuded to hide unfinished
| works from the gaze OF visitors. hung from the
| walts,-else all was bare, severe. yet grandiose.
from the size and perfect adaptitude OF the room
| to the Hrtist's uses.
OF course, our first objects Of interest wero the
| pictures. or these there Vas no lnck-fuiahed
| and unfinished, sketches dashed or seemingly
with few vigorous strokes of the geuiua-direct-
| ed trusb carefully finished canvases framed and
ready for exhibition, mighty and gigantic paiut-
ings crowded with ii(e-aize figures. Tho work
of Aalf all ordinary lifetime seemed concentrated
III that one loom. whose contents. however, bear
80 smal! q proportion to what the painter las
rssrbnI1 rouJ al 1ha ,n,1n,itv o1 manl,ood NJ besd
t.s'x .a,aI 80 49, n.ad ,rnrnd ,na .rd ti,onrht
of the gallery at London and the enormous list
OF his published iiiustrations-Daute, the Bible,
Don Quixote Milton, etc, to say nothing Of the
! myriad designs which he executed for tue illus
1sa1eu passls auu .np llao @ ~
~ sae =; ~ h, frt,9;.
~. 40, ~ 11e a,.a ,aroio a.a
nauasin.e p9~eis & u ha , ano ht axa
80 ;a,o.,t oi.herat, ~ 10 ~ 0"'
u e,e eh:at ttan;o., 'saa =. t,o
h1. 7Sch ncc',',ioi haf ~ ona s;ds ~
'J l;nh w. ,a,. -. Te, +t ~
,,s aa.,onfs Tha 1es,on wss familiar ~ me
oy ae4 H., "ao ~ nanta ond ny
+. d;s1,ra 81 rI,,+ r,.rv"Ions ,s.tarv
~ ,a .,pJ ~ tha 'o,r.r - ;nd;cat;n9
v,st distanccn and an inn1merable mult1tnds
a; N1;1I, IL. ,rood o,1rac;nra l,,va msda ~.
scanan.s1 +, in ;. fasrini n,ctnre-,haw wrti,;n1r
acquauseu COLI. o'1 ~ *,
ro,,t;1as tb neb.r nont3,-de ~ .nrers that
.tnt. sr.o "a hac1eronnd ara ali ri
o. ma,,aniata sm.iias n;ctnra IN nj! a.noI
tha u;fa If pont;ns p,jato m tha night nreced
49,. 10 ..,,c;Sv,on ~ mr. Savior
3 the other side Of the room from the preat
nicture which / first described ftle scene from
the " "lUferu0'1, hing that terrible panting,
tue "Nassscrc Of the Innocents." II ever man
painted sheer agony, Dore has done it ia that
d,reful picture. Que young mother struggles
| 1nadIy to reach baby. whom = brawuy soldier
holds aloftin bis pitiless grasp Another clutches
her infant to her breast, while the strong hand
OF one Of the slayers IL closed upon tho little
shoulder, and one secs that in another moment
the child will bo torn from her clasp. Prone
upon the earth Lies. III merc1ful lnEeusib1lty one
hap1ess mother With her babe, q b1eediug corpse,
beside her. But most dreadful OF all Is group
in the background Que wretched woman
holds huddIed up in ono arm tho cradle that
contains her child while with her other arm
sue strives to embrace its wou1d-be mur-
t}ercr; md, with 4 look and gesture TOO painful
for DESCRIPTION, she offers her lips to his k!es.
:. Take mc-take body and soul a1ike-but spare
my child" So say her expression and her
gesture Tie horrible eagerncss and the
blended agony and effort at Establishment Of her
face, contrasted with the brutal insensibility OF
the soldier, only intent On scizing bis prey,
we're something agoniz1nE to contemplate.
In another part of tue room hangs the touch
ing picture Of 1.-THE MountebankH," one of the
very few creatures OF the pencil that ever drew
tears from my eyes. The Fcene is the outside
Ut strolIinS players tent, aud in the distance
NAV be seen 4 tigLt-rope, aud q crowd OF Eeo-
pie, and little group Of dresscd-up dancing
dogs, In tie foreground, in the shadow of tho
t4 II. ,,a,,x, +t,o 4;r,,, .ro,r,, ord