At a time when art pursued heroes and myths, he stayed close to the people. Antonín Gareis the Younger, a largely forgotten Czech painter of the 19th century, captured the poetry of everyday life. His paintings breathe with music, laughter, and the scent of the real world.

Gustave Doré (1832–1883) was one of those artists who fundamentally changed the way people perceive literature. His name may not be as well-known as the names of the great painters of the 19th century, but his paintings are known to millions of people around the world – even those who have never heard of him.

The 19th century was a period of revolutions – industrial, political, and media. In an era of burgeoning literature, mass readership, and information expansion, a phenomenon emerged that significantly transformed visual communication and the dissemination of pictorial information. This phenomenon was wood engraving.