Happy Halloween

by Franco Matticchio

Nikolai Tyrsa's life in motion

After Charushin and Lebedev, Animalarium presents another fine Russian children's book illustrator from the twenties. 

Nikolai Tyrsa (1887-1942) was a painter, graphic designer and lithographer whose artworks were characterized by dynamism

 and simple harmonies of color. He was also a brilliant intellectual, art expert, translator and polemicist.

Tyrsa explored many areas of book illustration and design, and created a new striking and decorative book cover style.

Sadly, he died during World War II.

Cover and illustration from Kozlik (The little goat), 1923

Cover and illustrations for Pro slona (About an elephant), 1926

Illustrations from Snezhnaya kniga (The snow book), 1928

Covers for Cort (The devil), Lesnye domishki (?), Otryad (The troop), 1929-30

Tyrsa's love of horses was related to his Cossak origins. He was the only artist able 

to discuss on the same level with Lebedev the minutest details of equine illustration.

Gratitude for the info to the Italian edition of Erast Davidovic Kuznecov's 

Children's book illustration and the Russian avant-garde. 

Isidro Ferrer's Objective Zoology

I really like the playful simplicity of Spanish graphic designer and illustrator Isidro Ferrer.

I strongly suggest a visit to see his fantastic work on Pablo Neruda's Libro de las preguntas.

Monday Matticchio – Slow reader

Sunday Safari - A literary meeting

Poster for Roubaix book fair by Beatrice Alemagna

I am so fond of Matticchio's literate octopus (or hexapus, as someone rightly noticed) 

that I've gathered a bunch of fellow readers, writers and intellectuals to keep him 

good company on this lovely Sunday afternoon:

three sweet mice by Natasha Fadeeva and Suzuki Tiaki

(thanks to Quinquabelle and Milk Tooth),

two poetic porcupines by Marc Boutavant (from his book For just one day) 

and Celestino Piatti (thanks to The apple and the egg and The art room plant),

an artistic cat created by Ondrej Zimka in 1979

an owl with her typewriter by Raymond Savignac

(thanks to ninobooks' great Olivetti flickr collection),

a promising writer, Denis the deer, presenting his first book

(from Gwénola Carrère's ABC des petits annonces, published in Italy by Topipittori),

a bookworm bug by Edward Bawden (thanks to Paja Troops 76 on flickr),

a quiet book-loving dog by Maira Kalman,

a few sheepish readers by André François,

the fierce literary critic fox, and the twin rooster writers by Henry Galeron,

and finally, a couple more intellectual roosters by Herbert Leupin (1955)

and Finnish graphic designer Tapani Aartomaa...

Mad Men and Crazy Critters, 2nd episode - Sweetly Swiss

Dalang egg noodles, 1952, Suchard Milka chocolate, 1949

Herbert Leupin (1916-1999), one of the greatest and most prolific Swiss poster artists,

 studied in Basel and in the Paris school of Art Deco poster artist Paul Colin. After his

 return to Switzerland in 1937 he started working as a graphic artist. At first his work 

was hyperrealistic and influenced by Object Poster aesthetics. During the fifties, 

his most productive years, he developed a more humorous and whimsical personal style. 

Leupin's cheerful and brightly colored posters had a stunning visual impact, and 

the new approach became enormously successful in commercial art. This advertising

 genius can be compared to Leonetto Cappiello in his ability to express the essence of 

a product through visual metaphors, although his images also possess a gentle childlike

 appeal lacking in Cappiello's work. Many of the pictures featured in this post come from

 the large collection at the International poster gallery, where they are available for sale.

Pelikan pen, 1952

Eptinger sparkling water and Pepita grapefruit soda, 1949-52

Pepita grapefruit soda, 1951-5

Rössli cigars, 1954

Knie circus and Kolynos toothpaste, 1959-60

Bell grocery store chain, 1968-9

Lion lithograph, 1980s