Put Your Nose in a Book

Mai Miturich

In case you wonder where I was... having been recently diagnosed with a congenitally deviated nasal septum, 

last week I went to the hospital to undergo surgery. Now I am starting to feel good, but a mandatory rest period

 hasn't allowed me to make my costumary pilgrimage to the Bologna Book Fair. Yes, that sucks!

This quick post is dedicated with love to all the friends, colleagues and artists who were there 

and to all illustrated book lovers, be they children, adults, or beasts

Gerard Douwe, 1960

Sac Magique

Gaia Stella

Hugo Horita

Two works by Ester Garcia Cortes

Ayano Imai, thanks to Shelley Davies

Richard Scarry, from The Golden Book of 365 Stories, 1955,

thanks to Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves

Princesse Camcam

Zack Rock

Marco Somà

Edward Gorey

Charles van Sandwyk

Catia Chen

I really hope to be there next year!

Wolf, Sheep & Cabbage

This animated short by the Israeli director Gil Alkabetz provides a winding, surreal solution 

to the traditional riddle. Winner of the Funniest Film Award at Annecy in 1997.

Franco Matticchio - Blind Cat Blues

The Rainbow Book

The more work I see by Mai Miturich, the more I am impressed by his humor and childlike joy, 

the sophisticated spontaneity of his brush technique, and his whimsical, creative approach to page layout. 

Miturich (1925-2008) was one of the major Soviet children's books illustrators of the 1960s and 70s,

 and his numerous books were very popular among Russian children. 

The bright watercolors in this post belong to Poems For Children, a large collection of poems written
 and compiled by the famous children's book author Samuil Marshak. It was published in 1965,
 and won the Silver medal and the International Exhibition of Book Art in Leipzig.
 In 1974, the Soviet Progress Publishers issued an English-language edition with the name
 The Rainbow Book: Verses For Children. 

I am so happy with this discovery! Too bad Miturich is virtually unknown outside of Russia, 
and it's hard to find any other foreign editions of his books...

Peacock Power

Umberto Bottazzi, stained glass window for Casina delle Civette, Rome, 1912

Of the 711 posts published on Animalarium up to now, this one has been the most visited by far.

So, back by popular demand, we present a new dazzling selection of Art Nouveau's favourite bird

interpreted by some of the movement's most significant artists. Enjoy!

James MacNeil Whistler, shutters of The Peacock Room, 1876-7

Aubrey Beardsley, from La Morte d'Arthur, 1893

two works by Camille Martin, 1894-96

Walter Crane, Fig and Peacock wallpaper, 1895

 M. P. Verneuil, 1897

René-Jules Lalique, sketch (thanks to A polar's Bear Tale) and pendant, 1901

Jan Preisler, 1902, thanks to Peacock's Garden

Jacques Gruber, detail of Véranda de la Salle, 1904 

Joseph Janin, stained glass for Villa Bergeret, Nancy, 1905

Jerzy Hulewicz, cover of Polish magazine, 1917, thanks to 50 Watts 

Nature Girls

Camilla Engman

Happy Women's Day, Girls and Ladies!

Colette Calascione

Bélen Segarra

Daniela Tieni

Catrin Arno

Sandra Dieckmann

Eveline Tarunadjaja

Sandrine Revel

Amy Crehore

Kathleen Lolley

 Nathalie Choux

Christina Bothwell

two papercuts by Elsa Mora

Kelly Louise Judd

Kelly Louise Judd

Leo and Diane Dillon

Kiki Smith