Gustave Doré was one of the most celebrated book illustrators of the nineteenth century. In 1866, Alfred Maine et Fils of Tours published a lavish edition of the Vulgate Bible translated into French with two hundred and twenty-eight plates by Doré. The edition received immediate praise and was republished the same year in London, Stuttgart, Prague, Milan, Amsterdam, and Chicago.
While working on his bible illustrations, Doré drew many preparatory studies in black chalk for the figure of Christ, using his brother Ernest as a model. This loosely sketched drawing is similar in composition to the plate featuring Christ being nailed to the cross, though with variations in the placement and dress of the figures.
McCrindle, Joseph F., former owner.