The Doré Bible Gallery – Gustave Doré – 1879 | 100 Steel Engravings, Large Format

The 1879 Doré Bible Gallery Gustave Doré edition is a large-format pictorial interpretation of sacred scripture, issued by Henry Altemus of Philadelphia. It features 100 full-page steel engravings created by Gustave Doré, one of the most prolific illustrators of the 19th century. This American edition collects some of Doré’s most widely recognized religious imagery, reproduced here in folio dimensions intended for display and reference.

The engravings follow both Old and New Testament narratives, with each image printed on a recto and paired with descriptive commentary on the facing verso. The layout uses wide margins, serif typography, and consistent spacing between image and text blocks. Paper remains clean and stable across the volume. The selection of scenes prioritizes dramatic episodes from Genesis through Revelation, including apocalyptic and prophetic imagery as conceived through Doré’s stylistic lens.

This American folio edition differs from full biblical text printings by excluding scripture in favor of image-driven presentation. The result is a curated gallery, structured for readers, collectors, or religious institutions interested in Doré’s standalone religious compositions.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Doré Bible Gallery
• Author(s): Gustave Doré
• Illustrator(s): Gustave Doré
• Publisher: New York: The Fine Art Publishing Co., / Boston: Lothrop & Co.
• Edition: 1879 American folio issue.
• Format: Quarto; single volume
• Binding: Embossed pictorial cloth
• Size: 12 in x 9.75 in (30.5 cm x 25 cm)
• Collation: xi, [1], 100 leaves
• Illustrations: 100 full-page steel engravings, plus frontispiece portrait
• Contents Include:
  • Frontispiece portrait of Gustave Doré
  • The Creation of Eve
  • The Tower of Babel
  • The Deluge
  • Abraham Sacrificing Isaac
  • The Fiery Furnace
  • Daniel in the Lions’ Den
  • The Nativity
  • The Crucifixion
  • The Resurrection

Condition:

Good condition. The binding is brown cloth with blind-stamped biblical scenes, lettered in gilt and black across the upper board and spine. The cover includes depictions of iconic biblical figures in relief, still sharply defined. The interior is complete, with all plates present and printed on thick, lightly coated paper stock. The illustrations are clean

Why Collect This?

• Complete example of Altemus’s large-format Doré issue, with all 100 plates intact
• Folio-style American printing, rarer than the smaller illustrated Bible volumes
• Sought after by collectors of Doré, 19th-century illustration, or religious art

Item Number: #29311