Dore's Illustrations for "Paradise Lost"
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I really do rate these editions by Dover, as a student they are very reasonably priced, and appear to be lovingly produced, with the books on Dore I get the sense that they are as much about the illustrator as the writer, both of who are exceptional creators. These engravings on Milton's `Paradise Lost' are beautiful in their intensity and epic scale, the detailed masses of winged angels and isolated forest glades are wonderfully atmospheric. Dore's work really comes alive when he finds a writer that he connects to, these he produced quickly and reverently (the same can be said for his illustrations of `The Divine Comedy') in a way that shows how much interest he found in the material, this just heightens my enjoyment because it definitely comes across in the soaring designs that express vividly Milton's complex and meaningful prose. I would for this reason rate this more highly than his `Bible illustrations' because it feels like a joining of souls, how faithfully and vibrantly Dore brings Milton's words to life. A brief but well written introduction by the publisher is followed by short descriptions of each of the books in `Paradise Lost', there are 50 plates in total and each is presented clearly being 25 x 20 cm large. I definitely recommend this, prefect for lovers of Dante, Dore or both or equally a nice introduction to each. I will be looking out for other editions by Dover such as `The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci' and `Illustrations and Ornamentation from the Faerie Queen'.
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Dore's best stuff
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This is the greatest of Dore's work. He makes Paradise Lost come to life.
Nobody could draw angels en masse as Dore did. Dore's image of an handsome Satan is quite distinct.
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Well produced
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This book is very well produced, with large and crisp reproductions of Doré's plates, and good-quality paper. The illustrations themselves are excellent, giving Doré's interpretation of John Milton's grand vision and retaining the "epic" scale of "Paradise Lost". If you like Paradise Lost, then you'll certainly like these. If you don't know Paradise Lost, these illustrations may appeal to your sense of the fantastic. Suitably for lovers of mythology and artwork. See also: Edward Gorey, and Doré's illustrations for Danté's "Inferno".
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