The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-18
GUSTAV DORE.
Some Of the Earlier Works OF the
Great Artist.
TDurse To&A,


Paris Letterl
He was eleven years old, he told me,
when he made his first drawing for pub
lication, but his first actual work, set
of caricatures of the Iabors of Hercu-
les" wss produced when he was thir-
teen. At the age Of fifteen he was a
regular contributor to host of cheap
illustrated publications "in France, Ger
many, Russia, Poland, and l know not
where else beside" he added, laughingly.
Two years later he issued his wander
ing jew probably the most remarkable
series of illustrations ever conceived
and executed by boy of seventeen. In
those early days he used to make some
times as many as three or four drawings
= day, for each of which he charged 5
francs.
1t was the period of cheap novels, is
sued in numbers, in newspaper form, at
10 and u cents the number, and his fa-
>cile pencil was called into play to illus
trate the works of writers long ago for
gotten, such as Alphonse Brot, the bibll-
Ophile Jacob, &c. Sometimes he wasnot
paid for his work-often it was not even
signed. Then again he would execute a
series Of drawings for some publication
that would perish before reaching half a
dozen numbers, and so his work would
be lost. / told him Of an American ad-
mirer who once tried to form a coilec-
ton Of these earlier efforts of his genius
He laughed at the idea, and said that to
form anything like a complete one
would be impossible, as he did not pos
Sess one himself, nor would it be pos
sible to find many of the light, epheme-
neral publications in which they had
appeared. Moreover" he said, "there
are SO many of them. In the first elev-
en- years of my artistic career, / must
have produced. not hundreds, but thou
sands of illustrations"
He then spoke of one of his earliest
works, "Comic History of Russia"
namely, a series of caricatures published
during the Crimean war, and afterward
prohibited by the Government. This
work has become extremely rare, so
much SO that Dore only possesses one
copy Of it himself, ard that is in very
bad condition. ''I wish," said I, IN.
Dore, that you would make an exhibi-
ton Of your collected works." "Ma-
dam" he replied, laughing, "they
would reach from here to Vincennes If
they were set side by side; / would have
to engage the Palais de PIndustrie to
hold my exhibition in" He then told
me that he had, in his possession, whole
boxes full of unpublished illustrations
and completed drawings that have never
yet been shown to the public.
Some joking remark was made respect
ing the great artists persistent celibacy.
"Ah," he replied, 81 have been too lazy
to marry. and now I am too old am
foriy-Besides, l have been so happy in
my family relations that / have had no
inclination for matrimony." He al
luded, l believe, to his mother, who is
still living and to whom he has always
been most tenderly devoted. From
something that he let fall l was led to
imagine that he has vague idea of Wis
iting the United States at no very dis
tant date, and that series of illustra.
tions of American life would be the re-
suit of his journey did he ever under
take it. Niagara and the wonderful
scenery of the Yellowstone would afford
congenial subjects for his pencil.