The New Jerusalem 

Gustave Doré made this dramatic engraving of ‘The New Jerusalem’ in nineteenth-century France. It depicts a scene from the Book of Revelation, with an angel showing John the Evangelist the holy city descending from heaven. Doré created a vast number of illustrations for books, and his images helped to shape popular ideas about religion, myth, and history. His vision of the New Jerusalem contrasts sharply with the squalor and poverty of contemporary urban life in Europe. The bright, heavenly city promises spiritual renewal but it also tacitly critiques the earthly cities of the industrial age. Notice how the solid geometry of the city is offset by the rugged, natural terrain of the foreground, and the radiant light from above. To understand this image fully, we can consult not only the Bible, but also studies of popular religious movements in nineteenth-century Europe, and social histories of urban life. Art always speaks to a particular moment in time, so historical context is vital.