Reading Esther through Gustave Doré’s Illustrations

Abstract Due to the mass production of the nineteenth century, Gustave Doré’s biblical images were widely disseminated, significantly influencing the religious imagination of the modern era. This article closely examines Doré’s illustrations of Esther and Vashti and suggests that Doré’s images were both informed by past Christian reception of the book of Esther and influenced the modern Christian understanding. By examining the historical reception and interpretations of the book of Esther in both Jewish and Christian contexts, Doré’s interpretive claims become clear—he creates religious art in a context that values morality, and he employs a “dramatic chorus” as an interpretive community within the images themselves. Doré’s depictions of Esther and Vashti are paralleled in other images of females who assert their agency during a banquet: Jael, Salome, and Judith each invert scenes of hospitality into locations of violence. Through Doré’s dramatic chorus, readers are led to a judgment of these women.