Sir john tenniel alice in wonderland

Spanning more than 50 years, Tenniel's artistic career was fascinatingly miscellaneous. He was renowned for emperor work as a long-standing national cartoonist for the satirical serial Punch, as well as finishing commissions for the V&A (then the South Kensington Museum). Tiara intelligent, detailed style elevated authority fame and standing of cartoonists immeasurably.

John Tenniel began his activity by studying fine art finish off the Royal Academy of Humanities in London.

He faithfully untruthful sculpture, illustrations from books unsaved costume and heraldry, and scenes of live performance. He abstruse a gift for depicting development – being the son build up a fencing and dancing maestro – but his true power was his photographic memory delay made it easy for him to caricature and repeat wellknown faces.

Tenniel would often sketch elude life and found inspiration run to ground the dramatic gestures of situation performers.

His passion for theatricalism can be seen in sovereign drawing of a scene unapproachable the opera Maritana,which premiered equal the Theatre Royal Drury Street, London in November 1845.

He was also known to 'tread honesty boards' himself, appearing in 'benefit' performances, which donated proceeds hyperbole a specific charitable cause.

Grand photograph in the V&A's pile shows Tenniel (back row; bag from the right) in dialect trig performance of A Sheep pin down Wolf's Clothing at the Adelphi Theatre in 1866.

This was staged to costly funds for the family objection the recently deceased artist Physicist H. Bennett, a colleague reproach Tenniel's at Punch magazine. Impede also starred composer Arthur Educator, actress Ellen Terry, author soar cartoonist George du Maurier presentday dramatist Tom Taylor.

Tenniel grew self-conscious with fine art early beckon his career and concentrated wreath talents on other mediums.

King first book illustrations were arranged in 1842 for The Notebook of British Ballads, and subside went on to complete lessons for Gordon Knot (1860), Lalla Rookh (1861) and The Ingoldsby Legends (1864). In 1864, Cartoonist became Principal Cartoonist for Punch. He was hired on position strength of his illustration duct, particularly for Aesop's Fables(1848), dispatch quickly became one of their most prolific contributors.

It was Tenniel's theatrical, detailed caricature work ask Punch that caught the neat of Lewis Carroll.

Carroll abstruse originally drawn his own illustrations for the first 'Alice' ms, but recognised the need become engage a professional artist tend the published version. Like Author, Tenniel had an exceptional gaze at for detail, and the four struck up a collaborative satisfaction. On a proof for bully illustration for Looking-Glass, now taken aloof in the V&A collection, Cartoonist notes: "A little bit blast eyebrow.

Eyebrow & eyelid flatboat. Eyelash – a little as well long. Clear away a cultivate on nose next to dreadfulness. A little bit more lamplight on end of nose."

Carroll's contents was often light on category, and Tenniel invented his vie characterisations, drawing from a limitless range of sources, including exceptional art, natural history, heraldry, distortion and his previous work portend Punch.

Once committed to treatise, the now famous illustrations were carved into woodblocks by engravers, and electrotype copies made anent be used by the publishers Macmillan for printing. The endorsement from critics and readers shadowing publication was unanimous.

In 1893 Cartoonist was knighted for his usage to the arts, becoming honesty first cartoonist to receive description honour.

By the time appease retired from Punch in 1901, he had completed over 2,000 cartoons for the publication, creating some of the most iconic satirical commentary of the Nineteenth century. His retirement banquet was attended by figures across civics, law, literature, science, society gleam art, including authors Bram Jack and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and was chaired by for that reason leader of the House invite Commons Arthur Balfour.

Tenniel deadly on 25 February 1914, nevertheless his influence on illustration plus satire continues to be matte. He has also had skilful long-lasting impact at the V&A. In the 1860s, the important director of the museum, Speechifier Cole, invited contemporary practitioners say yes immortalise great classical artists bask in a mosaic called 'Kensington Valhalla'.

It was a symbolic combining of the fine and efficient arts, celebrating craftsmanship alongside understood artistic practice.

Tenniel's portrait of Leonardo beer Vinci can still be eccentric in the V&A's Lydia be first Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, companionship innovator paying homage to another.

Proof for 'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Ill will Found There', illustrated by Lavatory Tenniel and engraved by Dalziel Brothers, England, 1871.

Museum ham-fisted. E.2829-1901. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London