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Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Rodolphe Töpffer

Art Appreciation

Born in Geneva, Switzerland on January 31, 1799,  Rodolphe Töpffer is considered to be one of the earliest and most influential cartoonists and graphic novelists in history. He is credited with creating the first comics and graphic novels, which he called "récits en estampes" or "narratives in prints."

Töpffer became a school teacher in Geneva. In his early 20s he established his own boarding school for boys. He was then appointed Professor of Literature at the University of Geneva in 1832. 

It was his short stories and caricatures he drew to entertain his students that made him famous. His comics were a combination of text and illustrations, and featured a wide range of characters and genres. 

Historie de M. Vieux Bois (1837) is considered to be the first graphic novel. It was published in the United States in 1842 as The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck. 

The process he used to create his works was a form of lithography known as autography, which allowed for quicker reproduction.

Töpffer's comics were not only a new form of entertainment but also a new way of storytelling, allowing him to express his thoughts and ideas in a new and innovative way. His comics were a fusion of art, literature and humor which was a new concept in the 1820s.

Before his death in 1847, he wrote on child art and creativity in Réflexions Et Menus-propos D'un Peintre Genevois Ou Essai Sur Le Beau Dans Les Arts that children often displayed greater creativity than trained artists, whose creativity was often overshadowed by their technical skills. 


Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (created 1827)

Histoire de Monsieur Cryptograme (1830)

Essais d'Autographie (1842)


Sources: 

Wikipedia

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/topffer.htm

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