Doré’s Illustrations for "Idylls of the King"

Like his contemporary, the English poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Gustave Dor&#233; (1832&#8211;83) was highly regarded for his mastery of technique. One of the most prolific and successful book illustrators of the late nineteenth century, he provided a wealth of hauntingly beautiful illustrations for the first four parts of <I>Idylls of the King,</I> Tennyson's classic poetic treatment of the Arthurian legends. This volume contains meticulous reproductions of all 36 plates from rare English editions published in 1867&#8211;69.<BR>Like many of his other works, Dor&#233;'s illustrations for the <I>Idylls</I> possess great drama, detail, and power, overlaid with a melancholy, otherworldly mood. His masterly technique is abundantly evident in splendid, idealized scenes illustrating the romantic involvements of four lovely ladies: "the fair Elaine," much enamored of Lancelot; Guinevere, Arthur's perfidious queen; Enid, the wife of Geraint, one of Arthur's knights; and the "wily...