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Dore's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost"
Gustave Doré's Romantic style of illustration, supremely imaginative and richly detailed, was ideally suited to literary subjects. His wood-engraved illustrations for John Milton's monumental epic poem Paradise Lost, recounting mankind's fall from the grace of God through the work of Satan, were among his finest and most dramatic works. This volume presents superb reproductions of all 50 plates drawn by Doré and engraved in his studios for the original edition of Paradise Lost.
Artists and art lovers will find in these pages supreme examples of the illustrator's art. Among the events the expulsion of Satan from heaven, Adam and Eve in Paradise, the nine-day fall of Lucifer's legions to Hell, the Creation, the temptation of Eve, the Flood, Moses holding up the Ten Commandments, and the fearsome creatures Milton referred to as "Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire."
The dreamlike, otherworldly quality Doré often brought to his work seems especially appropriate for Paradise Lost with its lofty spirit and epic events. Indeed, Doré's grand conception seems to realize perfectly Milton's own poetic version. Appropriate quotes from the text of Paradise Lost are printed alongside each illustration. A plot summary of the entire poem is also included.
Artists and art lovers will find in these pages supreme examples of the illustrator's art. Among the events the expulsion of Satan from heaven, Adam and Eve in Paradise, the nine-day fall of Lucifer's legions to Hell, the Creation, the temptation of Eve, the Flood, Moses holding up the Ten Commandments, and the fearsome creatures Milton referred to as "Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire."
The dreamlike, otherworldly quality Doré often brought to his work seems especially appropriate for Paradise Lost with its lofty spirit and epic events. Indeed, Doré's grand conception seems to realize perfectly Milton's own poetic version. Appropriate quotes from the text of Paradise Lost are printed alongside each illustration. A plot summary of the entire poem is also included.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Gustave Doré
1,204 books196 followersThe most popular and successful French book illustrator of the mid 19th century. Doré became very widely known for his illustrations to such books as Dante's Inferno (1861), Don Quixote (1862), and the Bible (1866), and he helped to give European currency to the illustrated book of large . He was so prolific that at one time he employed more than forty blockcutters. His work is characterized by a rather naïve but highly spirited love of the grotesque and represents a commercialization of the Romantic taste for the bizarre. Drawings of London done in 1869-71 were more sober studies of the poorer quarters of the city and captured the attention of van Gogh. In the 1870s he also took up painting (doing some large and ambitions religious works) and sculpture (the monument to the dramatist and novelist Alexandre Dumas in the Place Malesherbes in Paris, erected in 1883, is his work).
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 31, 2015
Publisher's Note
Plot Summary
--Doré's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost"
Plot Summary
--Doré's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost"
March 25, 2025
Beautiful illustrations. I like that the intro gives a lot of credit to the creators working for Dore to carve the woodblocks. This wasn't a one man show.
This presents just the illustrations with a line or two from the epic. Some are pretty fantastic but usually its a nice landscape with a figure or two - lots of Adam and Eve and angels/fallen angels. It's a bit more mundane than the collection done for Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
This presents just the illustrations with a line or two from the epic. Some are pretty fantastic but usually its a nice landscape with a figure or two - lots of Adam and Eve and angels/fallen angels. It's a bit more mundane than the collection done for Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
October 11, 2024
I have had this plus several other of these Dover editions of Gustave Doré's illustrated editions of famous works. One of the others, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, has the full text. This one only has the illustrations with an abbreviated description of Milton's famous work in the Introduction. I really must read the full poem. These drawings are phenomenal. I got these books out to show my artist husband, but I got caught up in them myself. They are addicting!
December 10, 2013
Exquisite reproduction of Gustave Dore's illustrations of Paradise Lost.
July 20, 2025
a goth's wet dream. what made reading paradise lost much more bearable. the artwork is amazing and breathed life into these otherwordly characters. the detailing on the engravings is impeccable. obviously my favorite ones were the one depicting satan and the garden of eden. wish i had a physical copy.
December 25, 2018
Just fantastic. And to consider it was wood print, too.
November 27, 2018
I love Dore's work!
May 17, 2022
Una verdadera obra de arte. A través de una grandiosa poesía, John Milton nos muestra que como humanos tenemos más de naturaleza demoníaca que divina, nos muestra otra cara de Satanás, una especie de caudillo que cuestiona en todo momento el determinismo divino, un ser que se gana la simpatía de sus seguidores a través de la razón y el convencimiento. Aunado a lo anterior, se narran las batallas celestiales con una maestría y epicidad inigualable, todo esto con alegorías evidentes de la atmósfera política británica del siglo XVII. Es sin duda alguna, una de las obras literarias más grandes de la historia.
February 13, 2022
Beautiful reproductions of Dore's illustrations of Milton's Paradise Lost. Details are incredible. Dynamic of the scenes is breath-taking, just look at those parts where angels roam the Earth. Pure joy for the eyes. Proportions, light, scenery (especially from the creation part of the story), everything looks epic.
I have a feeling that Dore's art was inspiration for the golden age comic artists like Hal Foster.
Excellent art book, highly recommended to Dore's fans and graphics aficionados.
I have a feeling that Dore's art was inspiration for the golden age comic artists like Hal Foster.
Excellent art book, highly recommended to Dore's fans and graphics aficionados.
January 13, 2023
Excellent Overview
This book has two purposes: 1) it contains all the Doré illustrations for the poem; 2) it summarizes each chapter of the poem in easy English. This last has been especially appreciated since I have attempted to read both the original text (and found it damned impossible) and a modern version (which was better but still heavy-going). In the Kindle edition the illustrations can be enlarged and, via screen grab, printed out.
This book has two purposes: 1) it contains all the Doré illustrations for the poem; 2) it summarizes each chapter of the poem in easy English. This last has been especially appreciated since I have attempted to read both the original text (and found it damned impossible) and a modern version (which was better but still heavy-going). In the Kindle edition the illustrations can be enlarged and, via screen grab, printed out.
August 23, 2017
Working largely with the illustrations, a most excellent experience.
November 15, 2018
Exceptional
December 16, 2018
The pictures are all black and white making it difficult to remotely any detail.
May 1, 2019
0,5 estrellas
A favoritos del 2019
A favoritos del 2019
February 14, 2021
Dire meraviglia è dire poco
February 8, 2022
excellent reproductions.
October 8, 2022
beautiful
February 26, 2024
phenomenal artwork. the publisher's note gives a brief glance into doré's life, and the summaries of each book were easy to understand and greatly appreciated.
June 10, 2025
Beautiful although a bit more…abstract than his drawings for Don Quixote which I personally prefer…
February 10, 2026
I always wondered how one guy did all these. The answer? He didn’t!
September 3, 2012
Today, we say that we have seen the movie but not read the book. There was a time when great books did not get made into movies. Great books, such as John Milton's Paradise Lost, were brought to life by illustrators such as Gustave Doré. I haven't read Milton's epic poem. On the one hand, Doré's illustrations give me the sense of not having to but, on the other hand, it also gives me the sense of wanting to read it someday.
No matter how gruesome the subject matter of these 50 plates is, including the scene where the fallen angels turn into a sea of serpents, Doré's craft creates a world that is somehow better and more straightforward than ours. No matter how badly the Devil gets beaten up, we tend to transport ourselves to that other world through him and tend to get hurt when he gets hurt and rejoice when he rejoices. And no matter how detailed and complex Doré's illustrations are, they always convey a tremendous sense of urgency. We are not simply looking at the pictures, we are witnessing the story unfold.
In short, Doré made sure our great-great-grandparents did not need to see the movie. If Milton's Paradise Lost ever gets made into a film (and Alex Proyas was supposed to direct one but the project is rumoured dead), I am sure it will draw on Doré just as heavily as on Milton.
No matter how gruesome the subject matter of these 50 plates is, including the scene where the fallen angels turn into a sea of serpents, Doré's craft creates a world that is somehow better and more straightforward than ours. No matter how badly the Devil gets beaten up, we tend to transport ourselves to that other world through him and tend to get hurt when he gets hurt and rejoice when he rejoices. And no matter how detailed and complex Doré's illustrations are, they always convey a tremendous sense of urgency. We are not simply looking at the pictures, we are witnessing the story unfold.
In short, Doré made sure our great-great-grandparents did not need to see the movie. If Milton's Paradise Lost ever gets made into a film (and Alex Proyas was supposed to direct one but the project is rumoured dead), I am sure it will draw on Doré just as heavily as on Milton.
April 3, 2026
I keep revisiting the mastery of Gustave Doré’s illustrations for John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1866) stand as some of the most breathtaking and evocative visual interpretations of the epic poem. I regularly still show Dore’s work in Lectures on visual narrative and the ability to utilise composition to draw the eye of the viewer. Through his mastery of light, shadow, and composition, Doré captures the grandeur, tragedy, and cosmic scale of Milton’s work, emphasizing the interplay between divine majesty and infernal despair. His illustrations not only serve as a companion to the text but also elevate its themes of rebellion, loss, and redemption, creating a visual experience that deepens the reader’s engagement with Milton’s poetry. The illustrations endure as some of the most compelling visual interpretations of Milton’s epic, bringing its celestial battles, infernal landscapes, and human drama to life with breathtaking artistry. His work remains a testament to the power of illustration to expand and enrich literary masterpieces.
July 9, 2008
It's stupid how often I flip through this book. I love it.
Definitely my favorite classic-author-and-artist combo. I don't use the word "breathtaking," so I'll call them stunning. I have dreams of a house with wall-sized versions of each of these plates. That's my dream house. Lots of walls, lots of Dore, Gorey, McKean, Mucha, Rothko, Lisbeth Zwerger...and Thomas Kinkade, the painter of light.
Even a dream house can't be perfect.
It shouldn't be. If it was you might stop dreaming...
Definitely my favorite classic-author-and-artist combo. I don't use the word "breathtaking," so I'll call them stunning. I have dreams of a house with wall-sized versions of each of these plates. That's my dream house. Lots of walls, lots of Dore, Gorey, McKean, Mucha, Rothko, Lisbeth Zwerger...and Thomas Kinkade, the painter of light.
Even a dream house can't be perfect.
It shouldn't be. If it was you might stop dreaming...
December 28, 2010
This guy had a studio of people working for him. A large studio. So, artists, you don't have to kill yourself after you read this. You just need to make enough money to hire all your friends and then such things as this book are possible.
February 20, 2009
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. It makes a great companion while reading Milton's Paradise Lost.
August 4, 2010
Very good illustrations for Milton's Paradise Lost. This book includes summaries of each part of Paradise Lost, which helped me tremendously as I trudged through half of the actual thing.
January 4, 2008
I have a beautiful hard copy of this. I wonder why that's not listed as one of the editions?
November 22, 2015
Another wonderful edition from Dover - epic words, immersive illustrations and fine presentation.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews