Gustave Doré

London, Walker Galleries, 3 December 1952;
Mrs Charlotte Frank, where bought by Sir David Scott, 27 October 1961 for £55

SHEET The sheet has been laid down in the mount. Some slight undulation to the sheet. MEDIUM Good overall condition. FRAME Held in a decorative gilded composite frame; under glass.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Doré was born in Strasbourg and published his first illustrations at the age of fifteen. His commissions include works based on the literature of Rabelais, Balzac, Milton and Dante and in 1853 he was asked to illustrate the works of Lord Byron which led to much work for British publishers, including a highly regarded illustrated English Bible. In 1869 Doré was commissioned to produce a comprehensive portrait of London, a project he worked upon for five years, staying in London for three months at a time; he was paid the vast sum of £10,000 a year. London: A Pilgrimage, with one hundred and eighty engravings, was published in 1872.

The present picture bears similarities with the images of upper-class London life that Doré produced in England but appears to be set in France. It is difficult to be sure of the subject. One interpretation is that the fashionable young ladies are bidding adieux to soldiers as they embark for a military campaign. Doré produced a series of illustrations on the subject of the French Revolution and the concerned expression of one the women may suggest another interpretation, that the women are aristocrats and that the figures below their balcony are revolutionaries.