Gustave Doré

Doré's Kiss of Judas is an illustration intended for wood-engraving, made on end-grain boxwood. Upon completing the drawing, Doré would have passed it on to a commercial wood engraver for cutting and printing. The trained reproductive wood-engraver of the 19th century was capable of cutting a fine mesh of lines which printed with an effect similar to that of an area of watercolor wash. The enabled Doré to make a lively preparatory drawing with wash rather than in meticulous line work on the block. The original drawing was preserved rather than cut away probably because the design was photographically transferred to another block.