Astolfo and the Hippogriff Overlook the Gathered Army

Reproduction on museum paper of an engraving by Gustave Doré for Orlando Furioso

This striking, high-contrast wood engraving showcases Gustave Doré's masterful use of chiaroscuro to create a dramatic, otherworldly atmosphere. In the foreground, standing atop a rocky precipice, the English knight Astolfo is depicted from behind, running his hand affectionately over the neck of the legendary Hippogriff—a mythical creature with the front quarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion.

Astolfo, dressed in light traveling armor, gazes out alongside his winged steed over a staggering vertical drop. Below them, bathed in a hazy, ethereal light, an immense and dense army of thousands of soldiers stretches into the far horizon. The sheer scale of the army contrasts sharply with the intimate, quiet moment shared between the knight and his beast on the cliffside. In the upper left background, the dark, sharp silhouette of a gothic castle or fortress cuts into a turbulent, heavily textured sky, adding to the epic and romantic grandeur of the scene.

Narrative Context:

While frequently mislabeled online as "Ruggiero," the engraving actually illustrates Canto 38 of the poem. Having traveled the world and even visited the Moon on the Hippogriff, Astolfo arrives in Ethiopia. The king, Senapo, grants him a massive army of Nubian soldiers to march against the Saracens in Africa. Before leading the campaign, Astolfo ascends to survey the massive host gathered under his command.

• Extra-thick matte museum paper — velvety finish, zero glare
• HD pigment printing that honours every detail of Doré's cross-hatching
  
• Archival quality — fade-resistant for decades

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