The Road to the Holy Land | Gustave Doré | 1877 Size:16"x20" with skeletons wielding weapons and

with skeletons wielding weapons and tools as they massacre people from all walks of life—peasants

and the pale glow reflects on the surrounding foliage

peasantry and army – many of whom became the subjects of his paintings

The small figures struggling against the overwhelming force of nature emphasize human vulnerability

The Road to the Holy Land | Gustave Doré | 1877 Size:16"x20" with skeletons wielding weapons andThe Road to the Holy Land, circa 1877. Illustration by Gustave Dor. A vast crusader army advances in dense formation, their ranks stretching endlessly into the dark horizon, shields, swords and swpears rising in rigid lines. Faces turn upward across the column, many pausing mid march, caught in a moment of awe as "Archangel Michael" descends from the sky above them. The angel, sword raised and banner flowing, dominates the sceneits presence both