Animalarium

Les Oiseaux Nouveaux

2012-01-27T23:16:00.000+01:00

Flying on the wings of a brand new century

Theo van Hoytema, 1893

Otto Eckmann, 1896

Jugend Magazine, 1897

Walter Klemm

Manuel Orazi, 1900, thanks to Peacock's Garden

Bruno Paul, 1901

Marcel Behmer, illustration for Die Insel, 1901

Book cover by B. Löffler, 1903

Edward Penfield, 1904

Anatoly Arapov, 1905

Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald, 1905

Karol Frycz, rolling papers ad, 1905

Hungarian postcard, 1910

For more turn of the century birds, you can visit the posts

Theo van Hoytema, Seasons of the Peacock and L'Animal dans la Décoration

Un Matticchio Bestiale!

2012-01-23T23:40:00.000+01:00

Today the new exhibition of Franco Matticchio, Bestiale, opened at

the Nuages Gallery in Milan. I couldn't be there in person, only in spirit.

May you stay forever young!

Sunday Safari - Sweet Seals

2012-01-22T23:55:00.000+01:00

Matchbox label, 1963, thanks to Oliver Tomas

Feodor Rojankovsky, Scaf the Seal, 1936, thanks as always to 50 Watts

Gilles Aillaud, Interieur Vert, 1964

Dale Maxey, The wild and woolly animal book, 1966, thanks to Bonito Club

Milton Glaser, Cats and Bats and Things with Wings, 1966

William Pène du Bois, Seal Pool, 1972

Lauren Nassef

M. Ovchinnikov, The girl-swan, 1979, via hannarivka

swig

Sebastiano Ranchetti

two illustrations by Józef Wilkon

Renate Müller, 1971

Alice and Martin Provensen, The Golden Circus, thanks to Golden Gems

Lisa DeJohn

Sun and Ice

2012-01-21T10:21:00.000+01:00

This 1936 cartoon by Olga Khodatayeva was one of the first produced at the great

Russian studio Soyuzmultfilm. It's story is based on one of the many Eskimo legends

and rituals celebrating the return of the sun after two months of winter darkness.

Many thanks to Niffiwan for the upload!

Jim's Jazzy Creatures

2012-01-19T10:38:00.000+01:00

With today's post I want to celebrate the recent Italian edition of Jim Flora's

The Day The Cow Sneezed. To my knowledge, this is the first time that a book

by Flora has been published in my country, and as they say, better late than never!

My gratitude goes to the wonderful publisher Orecchio Acerbo for bringing us

another classic, after their beautiful re-editions of Peter Newell.

Like many, I discovered Flora through his famous jazz record covers before realizing

that he had written and illustrated 17 children's books between 1955 and 1982.

The Day the Cow Sneezed was published in 1957, and was the second of the series.

Here's a peek at many of the other volumes, with links to more illustrations and info when available.

And if you are not familiar with the artist, you may read his biography in Italian and English.

The Fabulous Fireworks Family, 1955

Charlie Yup and his Snip-Snap Boys, 1959

Leopold the See-Through Crumbpicker, 1961, thanks to Stickers and Stuff

Kangaroo for Christmas, 1962

My Friend Charlie, 1964

Grandpa's Farm, 1965

Sherwood Walks Home, 1966

Fishing with Dad, 1967

The Joking Man, 1968

Pishtosh Bullwash and Wimple, 1972

The Great Green Turkey Creek Monster, 1976

Grandpa's Ghost Stories, 1978

My thanks goes to the website and blog dedicated to Flora, and to the always delicious

Vintage Kid's Book My Kid Loves, which has uploaded most of the artist's books.

Franco Matticchio - Avanti un altro

2012-01-16T22:32:00.000+01:00

Sunday Safari - Supper's Ready

2012-01-15T23:26:00.000+01:00

Tomi Ungerer

Kathleen Hale, Orlando (the Marmalade Cat) His silver Wedding, 1946

Jim Flora

Yuri Vasnetsov

Art Seiden, Sonny the Lucky Bunny, 1952, thanks to try-whistling-this

Delphine Durand, Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood, thanks to Stickers and Stuff

Tony Palladino, sketch for Anthony The Crocodile With A Glass Stomach

via the Milton Glaser Archives

A. Georgievskaya illustration for Lesson of politeness by Samuil Marshak, 1978

thanks to Library things

Willy Schermele, Hondjes, thanks to janwillemsen

Eric Carle

Daty Healy, Cat tales from many lands, 1932, via Curio Books

Paula Winter, The Bear and the Fly, thanks to fuck yeah,children's books!

Simone Rea

Flowers & Feathers

2012-01-14T16:29:00.001+01:00

Nathalie Lete, La chouette orange

More folk inspiration to bring a touch of Spring
into these barren Winter days

Julie Paschkis

Neue Werbung cover and Bulgarian stamps by Stefan Kanchev

Evi Tihemets, Birds in folklore, thanks to vaula

Anja Jane, Ornamental Garden

Madhubani painting

Poster by Alfons van Heusden

Pierre Belvès, Découpages, 1947, thanks to Agence eureka

The Shoo-Fly Pie, 1944, thanks to Jasper Armstrong

Milada Marešová, 1953

Nina van de Goor

Jennifer Judd-McGee

Sukie

Country Folks

2012-01-12T22:21:00.002+01:00

Vyaceslav Legkobit

This time of year always finds me in the mood for some

good old fashioned folk-inspired art from Russia and Eastern Europe.

I would be very happy to live in the same village as all these lively creatures!

Russian figurine, thanks to Made with Love by Hannah (check out her blog

fully of lovely hand-crafted, folk-inspired clothing, art and tutorials)

Yuri Vasnetsov, Russian folk song, via HannaRivka

Russian Folk Tales, author unknown, thanks to normanack

Vladimir Golozubov, Two Roosters, thanks to Kievljanka

Yevgeny Charushin

Josef Lada, thanks to 50 Watts

Solomea Loboda, linocut from Ukrainian folk Rhymes, thanks to polny shkaf

another lovely book from HannaRivka

L'udovita Fullu, Varila Mysicka Kasicku, 1966 ( a lucky vintage bookstore find)

Rumen Skorchev, Bulgarian Folk Tales, 1979,

and N. Trepenok, Sharp-toothed Mouse and Rich Sparrow,

thanks to Book Graphics

Feodor Rojankovsky, The three bears, 1967

Franco Matticchio

2012-01-09T22:07:00.000+01:00

Sunday Safari - Nice Mice

2012-01-08T14:29:00.000+01:00

Domenico Gnoli, Souris Blanche sur la nappe, 1967

Mouse-shaped box, Manufacture de Mennecy, 18th century, via Les Arts Décoratifs

Brian Wildsmith, thanks to The Art of Children's Picture Books

Iliane Roels, illustration from The Mouse, 1969, thanks to art.crazed

Leo Lionni, Frederick (follow the link to the see the video adaptation)

Jason LaFerrera

Yvonne Gilbert, illustration from The Wild Swans

Miki Sato

Lisa Congdon

2012-01-06T16:45:00.001+01:00

Lisa Congdon is a talented fine artist and illustrator based in San Francisco.

I have posted a few of her artworks before, and have been wanting to feature

some more. These chilly January days seem like a great time to do so,

since her pictures warm me up like a good cup of hot cocoa.

While her work explores a variety of media and styles,

it always expresses a great love of nature.

You can find Lisa Congdon's art on her website, flickr, etsy shop and blog,

while her love of collecting found a creative outlet in the immensely popular blog

A Collection a Day, which is now also a book published by Uppercase.

If you want to learn more about Lisa you should listen to this podcast interview

by Meighan O'Toole, curator of the great art blog my love for you,

which also featured a lovely series of photos of her studio last year.

The recent show Boreas was inspired by Congdon's love of barren landscapes and

by her viewing of Heima, a beautiful documentary about the Icelandic band Sigur Rós.

I really enjoy this exploration of wildlife, arctic whiteness and colorful folkloric motifs!

White Whale

2012-01-04T15:16:00.002+01:00

Marco Cazzato

To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.

No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea,

though many there be who have tried it.

Vladimir Zimakov, thanks to Caustic Cover Critic

Barry Moser, thanks to the art of memory

(visit the link for more Moby Dick-related artworks)

Aside from those more obvious considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not

but occasionally awaken in any man's soul some alarm, there was another thought,

or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times by its intensity

completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it,

that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible form. It was the whiteness

of the whale that above all things appalled me.

Tristan Lowe, Mocha Dick

Robert McCauley, Moby Dick Chapter 42, The Whiteness of the Whale

But not yet have we solved the incantation of this whiteness, and learned why

it appeals with such power to the soul; and more strange and far more portentous-

why, as we have seen, it is at once the most meaning symbol of spiritual things, nay,

the very veil of the Christian's Deity; and yet should be as it is, the intensifying agent

in things the most appalling to mankind.

Kathleen Piercefield

John Jay Cabuay

All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things;

all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain;

all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab,

were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby-Dick.

Lisel Jane Ashlock

Mark Weaver

Julian de Narvaez

There she blows!—there she blows! A hump like a snow-hill! It is Moby Dick!

Mark Summers, thanks to Stevereads

Rockwell Kent, thanks again to the art of memory

Lou Beach

An old, old sight, and yet somehow so young; aye, and not changed a wink

since I first saw it, a boy, from the sand-hills of Nantucket!

The same — the same! — the same to Noah as to me.

George Klauba

Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee;

from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.

Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine,

let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee,

thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!

Tom Neely, And I only am escaped alone to tell thee,

thanks to But Does it Float

Bill Sienkiewicz

Now small fowls flew screaming over the yet yawning gulf;

a sullen white surf beat against its steep sides; then all collapsed,

and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago.

All quotes by Herman Melville

Franco Matticchio

2012-01-03T19:02:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T23:51:00.000+01:00

Performers, Acrobats & Clowns

2011-12-29T17:55:00.000+01:00

The last act of this year's Circus festival is an episode from the very charming and funny

2003 tv series Creature Comforts created by Nick Parks at Aardman Animations.

The original concept utilizes bits of interviews with members of the public,

whose voices are then used to animate a long series of animal characters.

Especially interesting to those of you who can understand English,

since the best thing about these shorts is the humorous matching

between the words spoken and the situations portrayed.

Year of the Cats

2011-12-29T12:05:00.001+01:00

For the past six years, our studio Popdesign has produced a calendar

featuring Sebastiano's animal art. The project started as a gift to family and friends,

and evolved into a series of limited editions available in Italian and English versions.

In the past we have explored different subjects, from dogs to birds and wildlife,

but our customers' perennial favorite, as you probably imagine, is cats.

For the third year, the calendar has been featured as a giveaway on Modern Cat,

a wonderful resource for cat owners with a taste for modern and innovative design.

There's still time to enter by leaving a comment here before January 2nd.

And if you decide to buy the calendar from our etsy shop, you'll receive three bonus prints!

I am very glad that this happens as we welcome our new pet Chapi, a very sick and homeless young cat

which was rescued last Summer by our daughter Julia. When he first appeared at the campground

where she was staying, he was a smelly bag of bones with eyes half closed, missing teeth, a rough coat

infested with fleas and mites and very little energy left. Although still suffering from a lingering cold

and conjunctivitis, since he has been adopted Chapi has turned into a lovely cat with soft shiny fur,

a nice healthy body and a great disposition. And now that he's stronger, it's time to move

from a small city apartment to the country!

Franco Matticchio

2011-12-27T00:33:00.003+01:00

Sunday Safari - All the Pretty Horses

2011-12-25T20:04:00.000+01:00

Romuald Socha, 1974

Waldemar Swierzy, 1969

Eileen Mayo, The children's circus book, thanks to The Visual Telling of Stories

Witold Janowski

Erté

Brian Wildsmith, illustration from Circus, thanks to Tiny Tim

Art Seiden, Circus Animals, 1958

Vladimir Lebedev

Celestino Piatti, The Nok family circus, thanks to Vintage kids' Books My Kid Loves

Kira Kotliar

Otto Dix, Kinderalbum

Tadeusz Jodlowski

Marek Mosinski, 1968

Jan Mloddozeniec

Herbert Leupin

Lesley Barnes

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Circus Classics

2011-12-23T11:20:00.000+01:00

Ant. L. de Rop, De Circus, 1890, thanks to BibliOdyssey

The circus is one of the great traditional subjects of children's literature and illustration,
and this small gallery travels through different periods, countries and authors.

If you want to suggest any vintage titles that you know and appreciate for
next year's edition you'll be most welcome!

Benjamin Rabier, Het Circus Henri Bombari, 1912, thanks to Jan Willemsen

L.Ignatiev, Circus, 1930, thanks to Ribambelles et Ribambins and HannaRivka

Vladimir Lebedev, Circus (Dutch edition), 1931

John Dukes McKee, The Big Show, 1932, thanks to Retrofan

André Jourcin, Le Cirque Papyrus, 1947, thanks to Agence Eureka

Fini, The seven little elephants, 1947, thanks to Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves

Maud and Miska Petersham, The Circus Baby, 1950

Alice and Martin Provensesn, The Golden Circus, 1950

thanks to Golden Gems

Patric Hudson, Circus Alphabet, 1954, thanks to julialbailey

Kurt Wiese, Pierre of the Big Top, 1956

Leonard Weisgard, Circus Animals, 1958

John E. Johnson, How To Scare a Lion, 1965

Hilary Knight, The Circus is coming, 1978

Bill Peet, Randy's Dandy Lions, 1979

Gianni Peg, Alex il Piccolo Fantastico Giocoliere, 1981

The Magic Ring

2011-12-21T21:22:00.002+01:00

Pavel Fuksa aka jergot+gotroch

Christmas is in the air, time to continue traditions with
Animalarium's 3rd Annual Circus Extravaganza

Hiroshige III, Big French circus on the grounds of Shokonsha shrine, 1871

Seymour Chwast

Hans Erni, 1965, thanks to Sandi Vincent

Mai Miturich, The Rainbow Book, 1974, thanks to art.crazed

Peter Spier, 1992

Rafal Oblinski, 1980

Ian Falconer, Olivia saves the Circus

Sarah Young

Sacha Poliakova

By the way, while I love illustrated circus animals,

I was very happy when these news came out!

If you are in the mood for more circus antics, please take a look at these previous posts:

The Circus is in Town, The Circus is Back in Town and Pink Elephants on Parade

Franco Matticchio

2011-12-19T22:37:00.000+01:00

Sunday Safari - Happy Antlers

2011-12-18T16:08:00.000+01:00

Kari Piippo, Rudolph serigraph, 1998

Sorry for this week's lack of posts, my life has been

pretty hectic since it was the end of the school semester.

Finally as of today I am on vacation, ready to rest, return

to my beloved Animalarium and ease into the festive spirit...

Charles E. Martin, 1970

Roger Duvoisin, The Christmas Whale, 1945, via Curio Books

J.P. Miller, illustration from Jingle Bells, thanks to Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves

Jim Flora

Edward Bawden, thanks to All Things Considered.

J.Otto Seibold, Olive the other reindeer, thanks to Stella Baggott

Esquire cover, 1959

Werner Klemke

Dale Maxey, illustration from The wild and woolly animal book, 1966,

thanks to Bonito Club

Ronald Searle

Grim Natwick, late 1950s

Artur Barbosa, 1945

Hugo Horita

Christian Montenegro

Thereza Rowe

In the mood for more reindeer? Head on to Shelley Davies' lovely blog...

Shelley and I share similar tastes, and often similar ideas for postings.

This time she beat me to it, but happily there's so much art out there

that our selections barely overlap!

Franco Matticchio

2011-12-13T11:06:00.001+01:00

Sunday Safari - Winter Moon

2011-12-11T23:35:00.001+01:00

Alex Alendreyev, thanks to The Graphic Side of Life

Jun Takabatake, illustration from Quien soy, thanks to Col.leccionàrium

Micah Lidberg, Pronghorn

Charles Mikolaycak, illustration from Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman, 1967

thanks to The Art of Children's Picture Books

Claude Lapointe, illustration from L'Appel de la forêt, 1979

Jonathan Woodward

Peter Spier, The fox went out on a chilly night, 1961, thanks to Curio Books

Mary Sumner, Moonlit Sheep, thanks to the art room plant

Alain Bailhache, illustration from The beautiful world of hoopoe

Kiki Maconi, 1957, thanks to Vaula

Julia Gukova, illustration from The Legendary Unicorn

V. Pertsov, illustration from The little pig in the prikly fur coat,

thanks to Book Graphics

Feodor Rojankovsky, Scaf the seal, 1936, thanks to 50 Watts

New York Pets

2011-12-10T15:07:00.001+01:00

Ian Falconer

The New Yorker has a long tradition of beautiful, witty and varied covers

created by some of the world's best illustrators and cartoonists.

Enjoy this selection dedicated to the city's cats and dogs;

more artists and animals will follow!

Gürbüz Doğan Ekşioğlu

André François

Gahan Wilson

Mad Men & Crazy Critters - Elephant Strength

2011-12-08T20:39:00.001+01:00

Sandro Scarsi, 1961, thanks to Martin Klash

Achille Mauzan, 1921

Ludwig Hohlwein, 1920 and 1926

Pierre Mourgue, 1930

Leonetto Cappiello, 1936

Fritz Butz, 1945

Pierre Fix-Masseau, 1950

Koff, thanks to Hamish Grant

Hervé Morvan, 1952

Frans Mettes, thanks to Vintage Advertising and Poster Art

Danuta Zukowska

André François, thanks to Sandi Vincent at Aqua-Velvet

Monday Matticchio - Penguin Town

2011-12-05T21:30:00.001+01:00

Sunday Safari - City Life

2011-12-04T19:04:00.000+01:00

Viggo Vagnby, 1959

Alice and Martin Provensen, The Animal Fair, 1952, at R.Michelson Galleries

Art Seiden, Dinosaur comes to town, 1963, thanks to Golden Gems

Syd Hoff, Sammy the Seal, 1959, thanks to Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves

Roger Duvoisin, Veronica, 1961

Lu Green

Wayne Pate

Vincent Mathy

Natalie Russell, Moon Rabbit

Michael Sowa, Esterhazy, The Rabbit Prince

Gabriella Giandelli at Galerie Martel

Chiho Makino

Victo Ngai

Beatrice Alemagna, Un Lion à Paris

Stéphane Poulin, Bestiaire

Marco Cazzato

Shuichi Nakano, Searching for paradise, thanks to Pink Tentacle