This posting is a stub. You can contribute to this entry by providing information through the comments link at the bottom of this post. Please organize your information following the main category headers below….
Birth/Death
Birth: 1872 Angers, France
Death: 1964
Occupation/Title
Children’s Book Illustrator/Designer
Bio Summary
He was one of the greatest children’s book illustrators, but was relatively unknown in the United States. He started his career as a advertising illustrator, but would eventually start creating illustrations for children’s book because of his love of fables and fairy tales. In the year 1907, he began to illustrate magazines for children, and illustrated the book ‘Jean, l’Ours’ (John, the Bear) which was first published in 1913. He also illustrated for the fashion magazines, news gazettes, record companies, and for products during his career. Success arrived in 1928 with the renowned “Album Lorioux” published by Hachette, the most famous house of editors in France during this period. His works were used in ‘Don Quichotte’, ‘Les Contes de Perrault’ and ‘Robinson Crusoe’. He also had worked for Disney during World War I for a brief stint illustrating books and was offered to come to the United States to work on Snow White, but refused to leave his country.
Early Life/Family
He was married to Lily.
Education/Training
No information about his education or training.
Career Outline
Lorioux often collaborated with author Charles. He did illustrations for Cinderella, Le Petit Pouchet (Tom Thumb) and Puss-in-Boot written by Perrault. He illustrated for other books such as Mon Journal, Les Deux Negauds Par La Comtesse de Segur, Fables de La Fontaine, Roman de Renard, and Le Buffon Des Enfants. Walt Disney met Felix Lorioux in 1919 when Disney was an Red Cross ambulance driver and Lorioux’s wife ws a Red Cross nurse. Lorioux worked for Disney in the early 30s illustrating several books based on Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies, but he eventually resigned the position because of the language barrier and his unwillingness to relocate to California.
Comments On Style
His decorative, Art Nouveau-inspired illustrations would become his style and would be the inspiration for many illustrators of today, including his contemporaries. Both the modern style and the Japanese style popular at the turn of the century are apparent in his work. He put great emphasis on animals in his work. His love for fables, fantasy, and fairy tales would lead him to create gorgeous illustrations for many children’s books. He started working in conte crayon, but soon used paint with bold, bright colors. He had a modern, . He came up with techniques for illustration that are still in use today. He also had great attention to detail.
Influences
He mainly drew inspiration from animals, insects, plants, fairy tales, and literarture. His artistic influences were French artists Arthur Racknam, Beardsley, and Danish artist Kay Nielsen, and also his contemporaries.
Personality
He was a modest man, but he let many opportunities pass by because of his shy behavior. He was often hypercritical of himself and timid. He did not really like to promote himself. He also considered himself more of an artisan rather than an artist. His behavior would drive his wife Lily crazy. She would rush to send jobs off to the printers because he felt that he did not finish his work.
Anecdotes
He was a modest man, but he let many opportunities pass by because of his shy behavior. He was often hypercritical of himself and timid. He did not really like to promote himself. He also considered himself more of an artisan rather than an artist. His behavior would drive his wife Lily crazy. She would rush to send jobs off to the printers because he felt that he did not finish his work.
Miscellaneous
The character Donald Duck was inspired by one of his series of illustrations called ‘la poule sur un mur’ (The Chicken on a Wall) which was published in 1919.
Filmography
Honors
In 1984, the Georges Pompidou Museum, Paris, hosted an exhibition of Lorioux’s work; many other galleries (Lebrun Jouve, Museé des Beaux Arts at Angers, among others) have also hosted exhibitions of his work.
Related Links
A-HAA: Illustration: A Visual Feast
Bibliographic References
In 1984, the Georges Pompidou Museum, Paris, hosted an exhibition of Lorioux’s work; many other galleries (Lebrun Jouve, Museé des Beaux Arts at Angers, among others) have also hosted exhibitions of his work.
Contributors To This Listing
Durrell Odom, Micheal Andrew Wilson
To make additions or corrections to this listing, please click on COMMENTS below…
by 
