Shepherd wolf 

Gustave Doré created this engraving called 'Shepherd Wolf' sometime in the 19th century. The nightmarish image presents a wolf disguised as a shepherd, overseeing a flock of sheep. Doré made a name for himself illustrating literary works, and this image, with its dark symbolism, can be read as a commentary on the social and political landscape of 19th-century France. The Industrial Revolution had brought immense social upheaval, and anxieties about class divisions and moral corruption were widespread. Is Doré suggesting that those in power – the 'shepherds' of society – are actually wolves in disguise, exploiting and deceiving the vulnerable? The presence of the pan flute, an instrument associated with pastoral innocence, only adds to the unsettling irony. To understand Doré's visual language, we can turn to popular literature, political cartoons, and the broader visual culture of his time. In doing so, we can recognize that art is not created in a vacuum, but is in constant dialogue with the society around it.