Brian Wildsmith
Encyclopedia
Brian Wildsmith is a painter and children's book illustrator
. The book for which he won the Kate Greenaway Medal
in 1962 - his A.B.C - has no text apart from the letters of the alphabet; and since then in all his books the illustrations - usually in brilliant color - have held an equal importance with the text.
, a small mining village in South Yorkshire, England. He was educated at the De La Salle College for Boys in Sheffield, but from the age of seventeen studied at the Barnsley School of Art (1946–1949). It was also while he was seventeen that he met Aurelie, daughter of the chef at Wentworth Woodhouse
, whom he would later marry. From Barnsley he won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art
in London, where he studied for three years (1949–1952), and where Sir William Coldstream
was among his teachers.
On leaving the Slade school he did National Service in the British army. In 1955 he married his wife Aurelie, and in the same year began teaching at Selhurst High School
(1955–1957). At this time he began designing book jackets for the publisher John Murray
and others, and line illustrations for children's books published by Faber and Faber
, Penguin Books
, Oxford University Press
and others. His work as a line draughtsman continued from 1957 to 1964. From 1960 to 1965 he also taught for one day a week at Maidstone College of Art (now part of Kent Institute of Art & Design
).
Wildsmith's first love was for painting, and he was eager to illustrate books in color. It was Mabel George, of Oxford University Press
, whom he first met in 1957, who would give him his first opportunity to work in this way. She commissioned from him, as an experiment, some illustrations for the Arabian Nights (1961), and, when these were well reproduced, commissioned his ABC (1962), which won the Librarians' Kate Greenaway Medal
in 1962. Since then he has worked with a succession of sympathetic editors, including Antony Kamm
and Ron Heapy.
From 1971 Wildsmith lived in France at Castellaras, a hill village near Cannes
and Grasse
, with his wife, Aurelie, and their four children, Clare, Rebecca, Anna and Simon. His son, Simon (b. 1965), is a printmaker, and lives near Cahors
.
Wildsmith is considered as one of the greatest children’s illustrators. In 1962 his first children’s book, ABC, was awarded the Librarians' Kate Greenaway Medal
. In 1994 a Brian Wildsmith Art Museum was opened in Izu-kogen, in the south of Tokyo
, Japan. About one and a half million people visited an exhibition of his work in 2005. Eight hundred of his paintings are on loan to the museum.
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
. The book for which he won the Kate Greenaway Medal
Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in the United Kingdom in 1955 in honour of the children's illustrator, Kate Greenaway. The medal is given annually to an outstanding work of illustration in children's literature. It is awarded by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
in 1962 - his A.B.C - has no text apart from the letters of the alphabet; and since then in all his books the illustrations - usually in brilliant color - have held an equal importance with the text.
Biography
Brian Wildsmith was born on 22 January 1930 in Britain, at PenistonePenistone
Penistone is a small town market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census. It lies west of the town of Barnsley and north east of Glossop, in the foothills of the Pennines...
, a small mining village in South Yorkshire, England. He was educated at the De La Salle College for Boys in Sheffield, but from the age of seventeen studied at the Barnsley School of Art (1946–1949). It was also while he was seventeen that he met Aurelie, daughter of the chef at Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse
Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade I listed country house near the village of Wentworth, in the vicinity of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. "One of the great Whig political palaces", its East Front, long, is the longest country house façade in Europe. The house includes 365 rooms and covers an...
, whom he would later marry. From Barnsley he won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
in London, where he studied for three years (1949–1952), and where Sir William Coldstream
William Coldstream
Sir William Menzies Coldstream was a British realist painter and a long standing art teacher.-Biography:...
was among his teachers.
On leaving the Slade school he did National Service in the British army. In 1955 he married his wife Aurelie, and in the same year began teaching at Selhurst High School
Selhurst High School
Selhurst High School for Boys is a name that has been given to two separate schools in England that existed at different times, but occupied the same site. The former school had been a grammar school that closed in 1988, the latter was the relaunch of a former comprehensive school, Ingram, under a...
(1955–1957). At this time he began designing book jackets for the publisher John Murray
John Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
and others, and line illustrations for children's books published by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
, Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
and others. His work as a line draughtsman continued from 1957 to 1964. From 1960 to 1965 he also taught for one day a week at Maidstone College of Art (now part of Kent Institute of Art & Design
Kent Institute of Art & Design
The Kent Institute of Art & Design was an art school based across three campuses in the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the amalgamation of three independent colleges: Canterbury College of Art, Maidstone College of Art and Rochester College of Art...
).
Wildsmith's first love was for painting, and he was eager to illustrate books in color. It was Mabel George, of Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, whom he first met in 1957, who would give him his first opportunity to work in this way. She commissioned from him, as an experiment, some illustrations for the Arabian Nights (1961), and, when these were well reproduced, commissioned his ABC (1962), which won the Librarians' Kate Greenaway Medal
Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in the United Kingdom in 1955 in honour of the children's illustrator, Kate Greenaway. The medal is given annually to an outstanding work of illustration in children's literature. It is awarded by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
in 1962. Since then he has worked with a succession of sympathetic editors, including Antony Kamm
Antony Kamm
Antony Kamm was an English publisher, author, historian and cricketer.- Biography :...
and Ron Heapy.
From 1971 Wildsmith lived in France at Castellaras, a hill village near Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
and Grasse
Grasse
-See also:*Route Napoléon*Ancient Diocese of Grasse*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department-External links:*...
, with his wife, Aurelie, and their four children, Clare, Rebecca, Anna and Simon. His son, Simon (b. 1965), is a printmaker, and lives near Cahors
Cahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
.
Wildsmith is considered as one of the greatest children’s illustrators. In 1962 his first children’s book, ABC, was awarded the Librarians' Kate Greenaway Medal
Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in the United Kingdom in 1955 in honour of the children's illustrator, Kate Greenaway. The medal is given annually to an outstanding work of illustration in children's literature. It is awarded by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
. In 1994 a Brian Wildsmith Art Museum was opened in Izu-kogen, in the south of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan. About one and a half million people visited an exhibition of his work in 2005. Eight hundred of his paintings are on loan to the museum.
Further reading
- D. Martin, 'Brian Wildsmith', in D. Martin, The Telling Line Essays On Fifteen Contemporary Book Illustrators (1989), p. 126-147
External links
- Brian Wildsmith's official website
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/brian-wildsmith-technicolor-artist-of-wonder-and-beauty-1941260.html