J. J. Grandville
“Others find fault with the world as good God has made it, but, powerless to refashion it, they rest satisfied with railing at it; J.J. Grandville not only did not scoff at it, but even recreated one of his own.” -Alexander Dumas.
French artist Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard (13 September 1803 – 17 March 1847) continued the tradition started by his theatrical grandparents and artistic father when he also chose to publish his work under the name Grandville. He moved to Paris when he was only 21 and became a a successful caricaturist. He published his own lithographs, including Les Métamorphoses du Jour, and contributed work to L'Artiste , La Caricature and other publications. He shifted to book illustration after politicians successfully censored political magazines, illustrating titles including Don Quixote, Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe.
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Illustration from "Un Autre Monde"
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Thanks to the University of Toronto and creators of archive.org, you can view a complete copy of Grandville's art from The Private and Public Lives of Animals. You can also view selected images from this volume on our blog. Grandville's work in Un Autre Monde inspired future generations of surrealists.
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