Gustave Doré

(French, 1832-1883)

Sans Lui Parler Je Me Penchai vers lui, Je Pris Le Pinçeau et J’Effaçai l’Oiseau (from Arioste's Roland Furieux)

watercolor and gouache on paper laid to card

signed G Doré (lower right)

16 1/4 x 12 1/2 in. (41.3 x 31.8cm)

The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Unframed.

Lot Essay:

The present drawing is one of 618 illustrations created by Gustave Doré for Orlando Furioso, the 16th-century epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto.

Often regarded as a metaphor for all literature, Orlando Furioso is celebrated as the final and finest expression of chivalric romance. It recounts the tale of Roland (Orlando), a heroic Christian knight, whose quest for love unfolds amid the backdrop of war between Charlemagne's forces and the Saracen army. In this scene, the wizard Merlin appears in the enchanted forest of Brocéliande, teaching the young knight Arthur the art of drawing.

This project marked the last of Doré’s major folio illustrations for the Hachette publishing house. Unlike his earlier practice of drawing directly onto woodblocks for engraving, Doré created these compositions on paper, granting him greater artistic freedom. Today, the Orlando Furioso illustrations are considered among Doré’s most accomplished and original works.

Sans Lui Parler Je Me Penchai vers lui, Je Pris Le Pinçeau et J’Effaçai l’Oiseau (from Arioste's Roland Furieux)

Sans Lui Parler Je Me Penchai vers lui, Je Pris Le Pinçeau et J’Effaçai l’Oiseau (from Arioste's Roland Furieux)