Rizpah's Kindness toward the Dead 

Gustave Doré created this wood engraving, Rizpah's Kindness toward the Dead, in 19th century France to illustrate the Bible. The image depicts Rizpah, a concubine of King Saul, guarding the bodies of her sons who have been executed. This was to prevent them from being desecrated by scavengers. Doré's dramatic style was popular in his time and this image would have appealed to a broad public audience. The scene captures the emotional intensity of grief and defiance against injustice. Doré made this illustration at a time of political upheaval in France, and it is possible to see Rizpah's actions as a symbol of resistance against state power. As historians, we can research the social and political context in which Doré was working, including the rise of Republicanism and the role of religion in French society, to understand the potential meanings of this powerful image. Ultimately, art is always a product of its time.