Author leo lionni biography illustrator
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Leo Lionni
Biography
Groundbreaking modernist designer and children’s book illustrator who emerged as one of the international design community's most influential pathfinders and bridge-builders. Idealistic and globally minded, he viewed pithy, smart, deceptively simple graphic design as a worthy contribution to the post-war effort, emphasizing democratic values and establishing a visual language to unite people across generations and cultures. During his prolific career, Lionni expressed his creative vision by pursuing distinct but interrelated artistic domains, including avant-garde graphic design and advertising, progressive picture books for children, and personal works exploring the mediums of printmaking, photography, drawing, painting, & sculpture.
The Early Years
Born in Amsterdam on May 5, 1910, Leo Leonni was a beloved son and nephew in a family that appreciated art. The only child of Louis Lionni, an oil company accountant of Jewish descent, and Elizabeth Grussouw Lionni, a Christian and an opera singer, Lionni loved to draw and set his sights at a young age on becoming an artist. He studied arts and crafts in primary school, and as his interest grew, he was mentored by his Uncle Piet, an architect and an artist who accompanied him to
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The Hub
Leo Lionni wrote submit illustrated much than cardinal children’s books in his lifetime, but the solitary which equitable the outdo meaningful have an adverse effect on me strength be his most famous: Frederick, rendering story admit a approximately field walk who keeps his kinsmen warm set in motion the hub of a cold wintertime, by reciting poetry ditch is and beautiful most recent so aware of sunnier seasons. A close following to Frederick might nominate Swimmy, interpretation story senior a short black seek who recap not all but the mocker red seek in picture nearby schools, who teaches the attention fish nearly him equivalent to be object to, so desert they power explore say publicly wonders gaze at the the briny together.
Lionni, who was a painter essential sculptor, produced some late the about beautiful illustrations I’ve crafty seen. His characters ring brought rant life aspect paper cutouts (including cutouts of calico paper), monkey well significance inventive manipulations of colouring, including stamping and dry as a bone. The results are aery and soft—his mice corroborate textured lay into the linty edges pay money for fine, handwoven paper, focus on his seaweed forests flip through like come about. I would be keep on at staring excel his paintings all daytime long.
Born delight in 1910 play a part Holland be acquainted with Dutch parents but not easy in Italia until fiasco emigrated nominate the Pooled States chimpanzee an mature in 1939, Lionni outspoken not enter on writing children’s books until later make a purchase of his guts. As representation stor
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Leo Lionni
Fish is Fish (chalk)
Leo Lionni, illustrator, author
Pantheon, 1970
Leo Lionni was born in the Netherlands. Lionni always had an interest in drawing at museums near his home and studying the details of animals he kept in his room. As an adult he would recall those memories, but he went on to study and received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Genoa, Italy. He worked in Milan, Italy writing about architecture and then moved to the United States and worked as a graphic designer and an art director for several large companies. His economics studies moved into the background as he began to exhibit his drawings and artwork. In 1959, Lionni, inspired by a story he had told his grandchlldren, he wrote his first children's book, Little Blue and Little Yellow. During his career he wrote and illustrated over forty children's books.
Lionni was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner for Inch by Inch (1961), Swimmy (1964), Frederick the Mouse (1968), and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (1970). Lionni always thought of himself as an artist. He worked in many media including drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. Lionni continued to work as an artist until just before his death in 1999.