Gustave Doré

This depiction of a London bookmaker, a person who takes bets on races or athletic competitions, depicts a character similar to those who appear in Doré's "London: A Pilgrimage," a volume with 180 illustrations of life in London depicting scenes and individuals from all walks of life. When the artist, a hugely successful illustrator in Paris who had not made his reputation as a painter, came reluctantly to London in 1868, his friend Blachard Jerrold showed him the town. He conceived the idea for a project picturing contemporary life in the metropolis and returned in 1869 to begin making studies during "a series of pilgrimages to the eccentric quarters." The project met numerous delays and was thrown into question when Doré contemplated publishing his vignettes first in French with text by an author other than Jerrold. Following the end of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, Doré and Jerrold reconciled, and the project was published in installments before being gathered into a single volume. Jerrold sometimes made quick sketches, and Doré would work from these and from memory in his studio. The duo were sometimes accompanied by police escorts and remained observers who often did not interact with their subjects. Doré, for the most part, was an impartial observer, although he tended to depict his wealthy subjects more sympathetically.