The Attack
1871
Gustave Doré unleashes his mastery of light and shadow in this apocalyptic 1871 scene, blending gritty trench warfare with supernatural horror. At the center, a terrifying winged figure—resembling a mythological Fury or the Angel of Death—charges on a rearing horse with a massive scythe, trampling through a battlefield of soldiers in kepi hats and ruined fortifications. Published in the magazine *Le Monde Illustré* during the turmoil of the Franco-Prussian War, this dramatic wood engraving captures the Romantic era's fascination with the sublime terror of conflict, where the lines between historical reality and nightmare blur completely.
- Technique
- Wood engraving
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