Great illustrator of the 19th century, also painter and sculptor, you certainly know his world! At the age of five, he begins to hold a pencil and illustrates his letters and schoolbooks.
At the age of eleven, his family moved to Bourg-en-Bresse , where he spent part of his schooling at the college. At thirteen , he published his first lithographs with a local printer. In , he moved to Paris to begin his career as an illustrator. His production until his death was torrential. His fame was built up through his illustrations of several works , distributed throughout Europe : the Works of Rabelais in , he was only 22 years old! Known worldwide as an illustrator, he is also a painter and sculptor.
However, if painting takes an increasingly important place in his mind and in his work, his paintings are not recognized by critics in France. It was across the Channel and across the Atlantic that he met with success. It was a triumphant reception from the Londoners! His style of painting, eclectic and still marked by romanticism It was to their taste. He even met the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria, who bought a painting from him in !
He also met the great masters of English watercolor , which he practiced after having discovered the wild landscapes of Scotland. He painted a fantasized Middle Ages , with fairies , chimeras , Gothic architecture and a chivalrous universe.
Later, he drew his inspiration from the texts of the works he illustrated, sublimating them. He remained sensitive throughout his career to social misery. In his illustrations he represents all social classes , in his painting he expresses his sympathy for the little people. Faithful witness of his time , he draws like a reporter. He made a number of sketches with emaciated characters and disheveled clothes, while creating fantastic atmospheres, dramatic chiaroscuro.
