"L'Ascension"

Doré was a renowned French painter and book illustrator who flourished during the second half of the 19th century. Doré is best known for his book illustrations, particularly his illustrations for the Bible and Dante. He devoted himself to painting, engraving, and later sculpture.

In the Christian tradition, the Ascension of Christ concludes Jesus’ work on Earth with his entry into the celestial sphere after His Crucifixion and Resurrection. Doré depicts Christ, in glory but still human, with wide-open arms and surrounded by a multitude of angels gesticulating theatrically.

As seen in the distance through the clouds, the earthly world takes on the appearance of a wild and majestic landscape inspired by the Scottish Highlands, which Doré discovered during a trip to Scotland in 1873. Thus, the painter gives the Biblical account a concrete and dreamlike dimension, placing the onlooker far away from the Earth, amidst the Angels.