Heaven Be Praised, They Are My Brothers! 

Gustave Doré made this dramatic wood engraving, "Heaven Be Praised, They Are My Brothers!" sometime in the mid-19th century, a period marked by social upheaval and burgeoning nationalism across Europe. Doré’s stark contrasts and dramatic composition evoke a sense of urgency and solidarity. Here, two figures on horseback are traveling on a path toward a large fortress. The rough terrain and ominous shadows suggest a world fraught with peril. Doré, working in France, was deeply aware of the social divisions of the time. With its evocation of knights and castles, this piece pulls on medieval codes of kinship and duty to suggest the importance of fraternity in a time of danger and uncertainty. To fully understand this image, art historians might investigate the artistic conventions of the time, as well as the historical and political context in which Doré was working. Art's meaning is always shaped by the society that produces it.