The Bourne/Doré engravings are very impressive. No doubt about it. Consequently, many collectors think they are worth tons of money. They aren't.

Except for the prices shown in my gallery of known Bourne engravings, I have no private knowledge about the values of Doré engravings. Minimum bid prices posted in auction catalogs and on eBay represent nothing more than wishes and predictions. Actual sales prices are the only information that count.

I frequently receive inquiries about valuing and insuring the large Doré engravings. The engravings were prepared for the Fairless-Beeforth Doré Gallery in London in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Apparently, all were signed in pencil by both Doré and Bourne. (See examples.)

I have never found any records regarding how many prints were prepared, printed, or sold. The number of examples that survive is probably limited, but again, I have never seen an educated census.

Doré-Bourne prints appear for sale very infrequently, probably fewer than five per year. Nonetheless, there should be some pricing history. If you are interested in values for insurance purposes, you will need to discover actual sales prices.

Several of the Bourne/Doré engravings have appeared for sale on eBay in the last decade, but sales have been difficult to typify. Sellers generally offered the prints at such outrageously high starting prices that they received absolutely no bids. Several items had serious condition problems and also received no bids. Having said that, be aware that condition problems are normal for the series, simply because it is extremely difficult to preserve large pieces of paper for 130 years without incurring some sort of damage.

In conclusion, I have no way of estimating value for Bourne/Doré prints. For that reason, every time someone asks for "more information," I send them to this page.

Having said that, I most emphatically share your concern over value and insurance. So my suggestions are to:

1) Get a decent photograph of your print. A poorly lit, poorly focused photo from your cell phone will not be adequate. Examine your print very carefully. Measure its exact size and describe EVERY flaw. If your print was framed before you acquired it, make sure you know what problems might be hiding under the glass and the mat.

2) Find a REPUTABLE and experienced art consultant who has subscriptions to all the major art auction records. This is crucial.

References to the large format Doré prints appear in records from several art auctions. Unfortunately, sales results are locked behind subscriptions and the subscriptions are expensive. Only the most profitable of professional art consultants can afford them. Those are the consultants you want to contact. You will find consultants of such stature only in major cities.

3) Ask your art consultant to research prices paid for all the large Doré engravings. Ask for prices paid, commissions paid, and the dates of the sales. Expect to pay for the research. You MUST stress to your consultant that:

• you need prices for the engravings, NOT Doré's paintings. Prices for the engravings are fractions of the amounts paid for the paintings.
• you need to learn "prices realized"; price estimates and minimum starting bids are misleading and of little use.
• you need prices for insurance reasons.

You may not be able to find reliable prices for your specific engraving. Consequently, make sure your consultant researches prices for all of the Bourne/Doré engravings in the series, including:

• Christ Leaving the Praetorium
• Christian Martyrs in the Coliseum
• Moses Before Pharaoh
• Night of the Crucifixion
• Slaying of The Innocents
• Soldiers of the Cross
• Triumph of Christianity over Paganism

It appears that Christ Leaving the Praetorium and Triumph of Christianity over Paganism are more common than the other Bourne/Doré prints. I have rarely seen references to Moses Before Pharaoh and Soldiers of the Cross. All the prints are more common in the United Kingdom than elsewhere.

There are occasional and questionable attributions references to two other large format Doré prints supposedly engraved by Bourne. The references are so sparse and inconsistent that I am unsure they are genuine.

• Andromeda (Chained to the Rocks)
• La Vigne

4) As long as your art consultant can compile two or three somewhat recent prices, you ought to be able to safely insure your print. If your item is framed, be sure to account for the frame's replacement value for insurance purposes. If you are seeking valuations for the purposes of selling, you should probably NOT count the price of the frame. Unless frames are extraordinary, frames are often considered either worthless or as liabilities when selling. If you try to sell a framed print, do not be surprised if potential buyers ask you to discard frames before shipping. (Some buyers may accept the frame, but ask you to remove glass.)