The Legend of the Wandering Jew
1856
Gustave Doré created this eerie advertisement in 1856 for a book illustrating the medieval legend of the Wandering Jew, a figure cursed to roam the earth until the end of time. The bearded wanderer, clutching his staff, looks back at open tombs and a dark, tangled forest where the giant title letters hang like ghostly vines. Though only 24 years old, Doré was already a master of the dramatic, gloomy atmospheres that defined the Romantic movement. The text at the bottom reveals this collection of 12 wood engravings was sold in Paris for 12 francs, a bargain for such masterful storytelling!
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