{"product_id":"the-destruction-of-leviathan-gustave-dore-1866","title":"The Destruction of Leviathan – Gustave Doré (1866)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe monster of the deep meets its end\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a torn sky, a shaft of light falls on a raging sea. Within it, a divine figure descends among the clouds, sword in hand, robes streaming in the wind. Below, an immense creature writhes in the waves: a scaly head with gaping jaws in the foreground, spiked fins, and far behind, the endless coils of a serpentine body rising from the water. Engraved in 1866 for Gustave Doré's illustrated Bible, \u003cem\u003eThe Destruction of Leviathan\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the most spectacular monster scenes of the 19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\"And he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoré illustrates a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah (27:1): \"In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.\" Also described at length in the Book of Job, Leviathan is the great primeval beast of the Bible, a symbol of chaos that only God can overcome. Doré stages the moment as a clash of light and darkness: the brilliant, almost weightless figure above, and the dense, black, muscular mass of the monster below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFrom the Bible to Hobbes and Moby-Dick\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew creatures have left such a mark on culture. Leviathan gave its name to Thomas Hobbes' famous treatise on the state (1651), haunts the pages of Melville's \u003cem\u003eMoby-Dick\u003c\/em\u003e, and still lives on today in novels, films and video games. Doré's plate, published in \u003cem\u003eLa Grande Bible de Tours\u003c\/em\u003e, did much to fix its image: half sea serpent, half dragon, of colossal size. It was cut by Héliodore Pisan, one of Doré's most gifted engravers, whose name appears in the lower right corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it works so well on a wall\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDramatic, dynamic and full of movement, this engraving has the energy of a fantasy film poster. Its deep blacks and bright bursts of foam make it a striking centrepiece for a study, a library, a home cinema or a dark, moody living room, and it looks just as powerful on a pale wall. A thin black frame gives it a sharp, modern look, while an aged gold or dark wood frame recalls the great 19th-century book it comes from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArtist:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gustave Doré (1832–1883)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEngraver:\u003c\/strong\u003e Héliodore Pisan (1822–1890)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1866\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMedium:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wood engraving\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublished in:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eLa Grande Bible de Tours\u003c\/em\u003e (the Doré Bible)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSubject:\u003c\/strong\u003e Book of Isaiah 27:1, the destruction of Leviathan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLove Doré's sea monsters? Discover the giant whale of \u003ca href=\"\/en-ca\/products\/sea-monster-whale-alcina-astolfo-gustave-dore\"\u003eAlcina Carries Off Astolfo\u003c\/a\u003e, or another plate from the Doré Bible, \u003ca href=\"\/en-ca\/products\/death-on-the-pale-horse-gustave-dore\"\u003eDeath on the Pale Horse\u003c\/a\u003e. Explore all his works in our \u003ca href=\"\/en-ca\/collections\/engraving-prints-by-gustave-dore\"\u003eGustave Doré engraving prints collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wallango","offers":[{"title":"A4","offer_id":54819404841283,"sku":"P7050S","price":43.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18 inches","offer_id":54819404874051,"sku":"P7051S","price":52.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x30 inches","offer_id":54819404906819,"sku":"P7052S","price":77.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36 inches","offer_id":54819404939587,"sku":"P7053S","price":94.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"27x40 inches","offer_id":54819404972355,"sku":"P7054S","price":103.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x60 cm","offer_id":54819405005123,"sku":"P7055S","price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50x70 cm","offer_id":54819405037891,"sku":"P7056S","price":69.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"60x90 cm","offer_id":54819405070659,"sku":"P7057S","price":94.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"70x100 cm","offer_id":54819405103427,"sku":"P7058S","price":103.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3","offer_id":54819405136195,"sku":"P7059S","price":52.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2","offer_id":54819405168963,"sku":"P7060S","price":60.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1","offer_id":54819405201731,"sku":"P7061S","price":86.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0","offer_id":54819405234499,"sku":"P7062S","price":120.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/3810\/2851\/files\/Destruction-Leviathan-Gustave-Dore-print.jpg?v=1789646921","url":"https:\/\/wallango.com\/en-ca\/products\/the-destruction-of-leviathan-gustave-dore-1866","provider":"Wallango ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}