Gustave Doré was one of the most prolific French illustrators and printmakers of the nineteenth century - known for his illustrations, caricatures, paintings and engravings, ranging from dark fantasies to dreamy poetic scenes. Editions du Chêne briefed Bureau Berger to design the first retrospective book that covers the entirety of Gustave Doré's work. « Fantastique » needed to convey the depth of his universe to both Doré’s enthusiasts and neophytes.

But, can you really « summarize » 3,000 artworks in one book? We explored 5 main supports: structure, book fabrication, cover, texts and images:
- We started with the structure: to convey the depth of his technical and creative talents, « Fantastique » is structured into 4 themes: 1800s engraving techniques, Doré Illustrator, Doré Caricaturist and Doré Painter.
- Then, the book fabrication has been thought to be a continuity of his creatives: it uses multiple and precious techniques (black page edges, 3D embossing, multiple foils…), trying to reflect the finesse of his art.
- « Fantastique » cover is built upon 5 of his iconic engravings, aiming at offering a comprehensive view of his influences and signature… in one page.
- We leveraged the textual aspect too: each chapter confronts the writer’s textual vision with Doré’s visual one, echoing synergies from the past, when his creatives empowered iconic texts.
- Last but not least, to honor his images, most artworks featured are scaled as per the original, trying to give as much space to images as possible.

The first print run counted 15,000 units (sold out), « Fantastique » is currently being reprinted. It is priced at 59.90€, and distributed in French book stores and retailers, as well as through worldwide shipping on Amazon.
English translation (United States) is currently in progress.