Finding of King Arthur

about Finding of King Arthur

This dramatic engraving by Gustave Doré depicts the legendary finding of the infant King Arthur on a rocky beach, where a baby lies beneath towering cliffs as waves crash against the shore and birds circle overhead in the night sky.

Created in the Romanticism tradition of 19th-century narrative art, Doré’s masterful line work blends Figurative and Surrealist elements to capture the mythic moment of discovery that would shape Britain’s greatest legend. The composition features a sweeping landscape with dramatic clouds and rocky coastline, characteristic of Romantic era fascinations with Arthurian mythology and sublime natural settings. A powerful example of Doré’s Pre-Twentieth Century engraving work that showcases his ability to render legendary tales with atmospheric grandeur and emotional intensity.