The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-22
THE DoRE GALLERY.
Dore dan. 10, 1889, to Jan. ~, 1881
Tor The Post.

nore tJnn. 10, 1883, 70 Jan. ~, 1851
Tor The Post.
Gus,ave Dore. the celebrated artist, was
born In the old German city OF Strasburg.
HIS artistic tendencies began to develop
ut a very early age. Hts first picture was
battle won BY the French en- Algeria.
This sketch from the hand of q mere
babe--he was only years OF age when 1t
was produced--was depleted with such
skill that great futures was predicted
Tor the youthful artist by all who saw It,
The marita for Illustration grew with
wears, and during his school days he trans.
lated his Latin by means Of the numerous
eketches with which he lined the margin
OF his books.
AT the age OF Is he accompanied hts
brother to Pans. which place was so
much to his liking that he quietly deter
mined to remain. Embued with the en-
thusiasm of ambitious youth, he soon
after presented himself, with twelve comic
sketches. at the office of LIE Journal Pour
Rire. one OF the day papers The
sketches wero accepted and he was en-
ployed at n salary of 1000 francs per an
mum. Having taken up HIS abode with
iorner friend OF his mother and connect
ed himself with the Lycee Charlemagne,
me condition OF which he was allowed
TO remain abroad, he for some years after
nnr Is z classical course of instruction
FIRST brought before the public by his
:iimstra s. ot the ''Rabelais"--a book of
very little literary merit. published on
sHch roor pdpe, chat the be-inked
tiecd had It not been for their startlingly
UNIQUE and extravaganza orig,nality-he
ecntnued his work through u short but
The great beauty ami fascination OF
| pores work lies not so much in the color.
| Injuries or scenes as in the profound linz
! preston or effect they produce upon all
who see them. duo no doubt to the serious
| skill with which he handles the sublime
| ana sometimes awful subjects.
de was practically a self-made man, so
far as his artistic education was concern
ed. as at no time during his life did he
receive the regular training of an artist.
Ane Yet ne le of has given to the public not
truth, and at the same time artistic value,
that he is often called the lola OF art.
AZ designer much of his carly man
hdod was spent-however, not as his sole
occupation. fo- even then he was at work
upon his oil paintings. and his ilhstra-
lions required not small amount OF his
published. and In less than week made
him the mos: notorious man IN Paris.
Copies Of this book have become quite
rare for which humanity in. general
| 1t limated the early Illustrations of Dore
to but SO few Of his admirers.
Other of his works followed in quick
perhaps are the Bible. Colemdge's An
eient Mariner" Tennyson's "Geneyieye,'"
Pierre Dupont's Wandering Jew, Bal
picture commentary of Dante's Inferno"
| which ts the most popular OF his .llustra-
lions: Don Quixote' and paradise
| Lost"
Tho solemn grandeur or horrible rcans-
Tic beauty of his Biblical pictures have
been as great n source of pleasure to the
educated as they Rave been instructive to
the unedncuteG
While working on Don Quixote," Dore
ma6o am extepded tour through Spain
studying the psople. their customs, man
architectural beauty, in spite OF danger
and obstacles. he journeyed In parts UNI
frequented by Europeans. where the by
gone. centuries seemed to have stopped
AMI the old Spanish customs still chung to
the tiny villaifs and streets.
Some critics assert that this voyage had
much TO do with tho style of afterworl
and that some of his best paintings re
this time. Ills Illustrations of 'SParadis,
Lost are familiar to every one. Oh. yes
there's another book / had almost forgot
ten. Only tho other day, while In New
berry library. J. unearthed volume som'
three or four feet In dimenston--1'm no
sure that was the measurement but i
was very large-which proved to be NJ
other than Poes Raven" Illustrated b.
Dore From the opening lines,
"Once upon a midnight dreary,
While pondered. weak and weary,
to the closing lines,
"And my soul from out the shadow
Shall be lifted Cever more"
It Is. continuous pictorial poem Of weird
~ beautiful engrav!ngs which tell tn
stcry as plainly as does the exquisite Ian
guagc of the Southern bard 1t Is a valu
, able book TO possess, but the cuts are nc
considered among hts best works.
OIL. PAINTINGS.
Dore did not pa!nt so many pictures
oGi. but most OF those which he did pair
; were marveed at for their great size an
, the multitude of figures introduced. II
! pictures had beer exhibited In the Salo
r for some time without attracting speci;
! notice. "Paolo and Francesca da Rimini
made It's appearance. This is by man
: thought to be his best work in Gil. 1t wa
9 palnted--or rather begun-in 1866 mea
ures feet 10 inches IN height and feet
/ inches in width. The subject portray
: characters from Dante's Inferno" repr
\ senting the scene of the fifth canto. whel
j. Dante and Virgil watch the lost souls
s Paolc and Francesca lowering over Il
}, fiery abyss. AT the time OF its Xhbltic
y the picture won the most extrav y. ga
J. the work OF Michael Angelo and 9th
y masters of the old Italian school.
e "Ardromeda" Is painting very muC
= Of tho Same style az "Paolo and Fra
e cesca dc Rminl" being also a class
d study. taken however. from the ancie
n Greek mythology The story runs th'
o the kings daughter was to be chained
Y rock by the sea until devoured by
l. sea monster to whom she was to be sa
a feed as q peace offering.
IS Dore's Interpretation Is somewhat of
h departure from the accepted model
% former artists, clearly showing his ori2
.e nality. Androuieda Is chained by Il
n wrists to the side OF an immense roc
10 the hands being drawn high over q
v head. while the feet just escape the re-
: | ine waves. At the moment depicted q
q head of the hideous monster rises am
a the seething foam. and ADdromedap In q
f. intensity OF fearful agony draws ba,
d !! her body as far as possible, while on 4
% tace-thrown into shadow by the dnr
b | floating harris ar expression on horrin
1. terror amounting almost 70 insanity whe'
le II greatly intensified by the extreme te
in sion OF the body.
,r This picture rs fdvorite with the sc
is eral public but is one of his smaller p
Il lures. being the same size as the "Pao
l 1, int