Léviathan

The Vision of Isiah, The Vulgate Bible
Gustave Doré (1832-1883), illustrator; Fr Jean-Jacques Bourassé, translator , 1866
BnF, Réserve des livres rares, Smith Lesouëf R-6283
Photo © Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Appropriated as common name for all sea giants, Leviathan is a biblical monster, probably inspired by pre-Christian myths. It is one of the dangerous forces — in this case, aquatic chaos — from which God protects his people, and may also have been represented as a demon from the underworld, swallowing the damned.
In this engraving illustrating the book of Isaiah for the famous edition of the Vulgate of Tours, Gustave Doré draws from it a strongly contrasted scene in the neo-romantic style, with the light of God, in accordance with popular imagery, splitting the clouds to subdue a sinuous reptilian creature surrounded by waves and foam.