The Bible Gallery · 1880 · ART0043
The Massacre of the Innocents
Printed caption: THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS.
Matthew 2:16–18
Framing included. The frame photograph shows the presentation. Confirm availability, dimensions and delivery before purchase; shipping is quoted separately.
Request this piece ↗The story behind the image
This is one of the collection’s most painful scenes. Matthew describes Herod ordering the killing of young boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area after the visiting wise men leave without returning to him. Doré brings the grief into the foreground through mothers, children and soldiers caught in the violence. The composition asks for a careful, unhurried look. Its subject is the suffering of families under a ruler determined to protect his power.
Take a closer look
Two details to notice
- Protective gestures between mothers and children draw attention to the families.
- Crowded bodies and the surrounding architecture leave little space in the scene.
About this original
- Illustrator
- Gustave Doré
- Book text
- Talbot W. Chambers, D.D.
- Page size reference
- The photographed source-book page is approximately 10 inches (25.4 cm) wide, from the outer edge to the gutter. This is a book-page reference; the mounted paper and outer frame sizes are confirmed for each piece. See the measurement photograph →
- Photograph
- Actual frame · Detail close-up
- Visible condition
- A conspicuous horizontal line or apparent repair crosses the lower image and should be examined before purchase. Age marks and paper discoloration are visible; the photograph shows the black frame and cream mat.
- Piece reference
- ART0043
These original pages were salvaged from a damaged book. The age and individual marks of each physical leaf are part of what makes it unique.
See the source book and its photographs →Read the source
The illustration is an artistic interpretation. The linked source gives context for this short introduction.
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https://cletusvane.com/p/ART0043
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