Karel Thole
Encyclopedia
Carolus Adrianus Maria Thole (20 April 1914 - 26 March 2000) was a Dutch painter and illustrator.
He was born in Bussum
, near Amsterdam
, and was educated at State Drawing School of Amsterdam
's Rijksmuseum
.
His first works were for advertisement and publishing companies, but he also painted glasses and walls. In 1958 Thole moved to Milan
, Italy
, with his wife and four sons. At first he worked for Rizzoli
publisher, before passing to Mondadori
in 1960. After severals covers for various magazines and books, he became renowned for his long work for science fiction
magazine Urania
, where his deep art culture, taste for surrealism and weird sense of humour could show at their best. For Mondadori he worked to a host of other series, including mysteries
and romantic
series for women.
In 1980s Thole experienced an eye disease that compelled him to reduce his work activity and to leave Urania covers to Vicente Segrelles
and Oscar Chichoni
. His last work for Urania is for N°1330 of 1998: in the meantime, Thole earned a robust fame as one the greatest Europe
an book cover artists. He worked also for French
and German
publishers.
Thole died in 2000 in Cannobio
, a town onto the Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy.
He was born in Bussum
Bussum
Bussum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History:Bussum was first mentioned in 1306. In this time, Bussum was a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests as is shown on old maps. Since Bussum is situated near the fortified town...
, near Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and was educated at State Drawing School of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
's Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam or simply Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, located on the Museumplein. The museum is dedicated to arts, crafts, and history. It has a large collection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age and a substantial collection of Asian art...
.
His first works were for advertisement and publishing companies, but he also painted glasses and walls. In 1958 Thole moved to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, with his wife and four sons. At first he worked for Rizzoli
RCS MediaGroup
RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. , based in Milan and listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, is an international multimedia publishing group that operates in daily newspapers, magazines and books, radio broadcasting, new media and digital and satellite TV...
publisher, before passing to Mondadori
Arnoldo Mondadori
Arnoldo Mondadori was a noted Italian publisher.Mondadori was born at Poggio Rusco, Mantua and died in Milan.His publishing house is today the largest in Italy.-External links:*...
in 1960. After severals covers for various magazines and books, he became renowned for his long work for science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
magazine Urania
Urania (magazine)
Urania is an Italian science fiction magazine published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore since October 10, 1952.-History:The first issue featured the novel The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke...
, where his deep art culture, taste for surrealism and weird sense of humour could show at their best. For Mondadori he worked to a host of other series, including mysteries
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and romantic
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
series for women.
In 1980s Thole experienced an eye disease that compelled him to reduce his work activity and to leave Urania covers to Vicente Segrelles
Vicente Segrelles
Vicente Segrelles is a Catalan-Spanish comic book artist and writer.He was born in Barcelona.Segrelles gained popularity in Europe for his painted comic epos The Mercenary , started in 1980. Set in a medieval fantasy world, El Mercenario follows the adventures of a mercenary in his fight against...
and Oscar Chichoni
Óscar Chichoni
Oscar Chichoni is an Argentine illustrator of comic books and science fiction magazines and books.-Biography:Chichoni was born in a desolate hamlet in Corral de Bustos, province of Córdoba, and is self-taught in art...
. His last work for Urania is for N°1330 of 1998: in the meantime, Thole earned a robust fame as one the greatest Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an book cover artists. He worked also for French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
publishers.
Thole died in 2000 in Cannobio
Cannobio
Cannobio is a town and comune on Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, Italy.-History:The local inhabitants probably became subject to Roman rule by the time of the emperor Augustus. Sarcophagi from the 2nd-3rd century CE have been found and conserved in the "Palazzo della Ragione".The first documented...
, a town onto the Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy.
See also
- The article UraniaUrania (magazine)Urania is an Italian science fiction magazine published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore since October 10, 1952.-History:The first issue featured the novel The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke...
contains a cover gallery with artworks by Thole.
External links
- www.delos.fantascienza.com/delos55/thole-lippi.html A tribute to Thole's art (in Italian)
- www.mondourania.com A site with all the Thole covers for the science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
magazine UraniaUrania (magazine)Urania is an Italian science fiction magazine published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore since October 10, 1952.-History:The first issue featured the novel The Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke... - www.sf-buch.de/sf-buch/artikel/nachruf_karel_thole.html Obituary with German Thole covers