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Secondary sourcePainting1894

Saladin, engraving by Gustave Doré

Gustave Doré · 1894

A 19th-century battle engraving by Gustave Doré imagining Saladin as a triumphant mounted warrior.

This dramatic 19th-century engraving shows Saladin as a heroic warrior, reflecting his lasting legendary reputation.

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Black and white engraving of a mounted warrior in chainmail and a helmet, raising a sword high in one hand and his other arm up, on a pale horse with ornate trappings. Fallen figures lie on the ground and armed men with shields stand at right, before a rocky hillside.
Gustave Doré, Saladin, from Great Men and Famous Women, 1894.

About this source

What it is

This black-and-white engraving by artist Gustave Doré was made in 1894 for a book titled Great Men and Famous Women. It shows a mounted warrior in chainmail and a helmet raising a sword, riding a horse with ornate trappings, surrounded by fallen figures and armed men on a rocky hillside.

Why it matters

Made centuries after Saladin's death, this engraving reflects the 19th-century fascination with the Crusades and with Saladin as a legendary warrior figure. Doré was a famous illustrator, and this image shows how Saladin's reputation as a military leader was dramatized for a Western audience long after his lifetime.

Look closer

  • What does the dramatic pose and the fallen figures suggest about how Doré wanted viewers to see Saladin?
  • Why might a 19th-century book include a heroic image like this one?
  • What historical accuracy might be missing from such a dramatic, imagined battle scene?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saladin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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