The Parting of Lancelot and Guinevere

Project Description

The Victorian era marked a resurgence of popularity of Arthurian legends. The first publication of the Alfred Tennyson’s The Idylls of the King sold incredibly well – a pattern that unfortunately did not continue with the edition illustrated by Gustave Doré – representing a Victorian fondness for stories of growth and change in a time where patterns in the ways of life of many were being drastically altered due to the Industrial Revolution. Tennyson’s idealism is contrasted by the sharp contrasts and intense detail of Doré’s illustrations for the Idylls, a trademark of Doré’s artistic style that is present in his many illustrations of other epics.

– Lily Burr, Class of 2025

Object Details