Image

A dramatic black and white illustration depicting a woman dressed in elaborately draped robes, holding the detached head of a bearded man. The woman looks upwards solemnly.

Gustave Doré

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Description

Maker

Gustave Doré (French, 1832-1883)

Title

Judith with the Head of Holofernes

Year

ca. 1865

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

gouache, watercolor

Supports

Dimensions

23.5 x 19.1 x 2.5 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Membership Fund

Object Number

66.027

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Draw Me a Story
Illustration from the Permanent Collection
Apr 14, 2006 – Jul 23, 2006

Label copy

Gustave Doré designed a large number of illustrations for the Bible, first published in 1865. This uncarved block offers a rare view of how illustrators prepared their drawings on boxwood for carving. Doré has created a painting in shades of grey (grisaille) with graphite, ink and gouache, suggesting light and atmosphere through layered washes of ink. The engravers were required to find graphic equivalents to the continuous tones of wash on the block. Doré worked closely with his engravers to develop an elaborate language of white marks on a dark ground in an effort to capture the inherent drama of his subjects

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Gustave Doré (French, 1832-1883)
Judith with the Head of Holofernes, ca. 1865
Watercolor and gouache on wood
23.5 x 19.1 x 2.5 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 inches)
Museum Membership Fund 66.027

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