Gustave Dore Paradise Lost engraving . The completion of Creation.

"And now on Earth the seventh Evening arose in Eden, for the sun Was set, and twilight from the east came on, Forerunning night; when at the holy mount Of Heaven’s high-seated top, the imperial throne Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down With his great Father; for he also went Invisible, yet stayed — such privilege Hath Omnipresence — and the work ordained, Author and end of all things, and, from work Now resting, blessed and hallowed the seventh day, As resting on that day from all his work." Book VII These lines describe the completion of creation and the sanctification of the seventh day as a day of rest.

Gustave Doré – Master of 19th-Century Illustration

Gustave Doré (1832–1883) was a celebrated French artist, illustrator, and engraver known for his highly detailed and emotionally charged black-and-white illustrations. His signature style, blending Romantic drama with precise craftsmanship, made him one of the most influential illustrators of the 19th century.

Gustave Doré’s illustrations for Paradise Lost, John Milton’s epic poem, were first published in 1866 and are among his most celebrated works. Doré brought Milton’s vivid and often otherworldly imagery to life through a series of dramatic engravings that captured the grandeur, conflict, and spiritual intensity of the text. His depictions of Satan’s fall, the battle between Heaven and Hell, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden are infused with a powerful sense of movement, emotion, and scale. Doré’s visual interpretation not only enhanced the poem’s reach but also shaped how generations of readers imagined its characters and scenes, cementing his role as a defining visual voice for one of English literature’s greatest works.