 |
Biography |
|
|
1925 |
|
Born on August 30 |
|
|
1926-9 |
|
Cecile de Brunhoff makes up an elephant tale as a bedtime story for her children |
|
|
1931 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff expands, names and illustrates the story; the first Babar book, The Story of Babar, is published |
|
|
1932 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s second Babar book, The Travels of Babar, is published |
|
|
1932 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff designs wooden reliefs to decorate the French ocean liner,Normandie; commences work on Zephir book |
|
|
1933 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s third book, Babar the King, is published |
|
|
1934 - 1936 |
|
Brother Thierry born in November; Pom, Flora, and Alexander join the Babar series as Jean de Brunhoff works on Babar and His Children |
|
|
1936 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and His Children commissioned as a serial with black and white illustrations for the Daily Sketch, a London newspaper |
|
|
1936 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s fifth Babar book is published, Babar and Zephir, devoted to Laurent’s and Mathieu’s favorite character |
|
|
1936 - 1937 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and Father Christmas commissioned as a serial with black and white illustrations for the Daily Sketch, a London newspaper |
|
|
1937 |
|
1937 Jean de Brunhoff dies of tuberculosis on October 16 |
|
|
1938 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and His Children published in book form; Laurent de Brunhoff’s uncle, Michel de Brunoff, who was a famous editior of Vogue in Paris at the time takes charge of turning the text and pictures into a book; teenager Laurent de Brunhoff was asked to assist with color |
|
|
1940 |
|
House in Chessy sold; during WWII and German occupation of Paris family frequently re-locates; children continue their education |
|
|
1941 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and Father Christmas published in book form; again Laurent de Brunhoff consulted on color for the cover |
|
|
1944 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff graduated |
|
|
1944 |
|
Laurent studies abstract painting at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Montparnasse |
|
|
1946 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff’s first Babar book, Babar’s Cousin: That Rascal Arthur is published in France; as with his father’s books, Random House publishes the English version with Merle Haas translating |
|
|
1948 |
|
abstract paintings shown in group show, Galerie Maeght, Paris |
|
|
1949 |
|
Babar’s Picnic published |
|
|
1950 |
|
Laurent brief period discontinues abstract work and paints figurative work, craves art that “could be understood by general public” |
|
|
1951 |
|
marries Marie-Claude, wife champions work and offers plot suggestions |
|
|
1951 |
|
Babar’s Visit to Bird Island published; lush, seminal watercolors |
|
|
1952 |
|
Daughter Anne born; family moves from the Montparnasse atelier outside Paris to Velannes; begins work on Babar’s Fair |
|
|
1952 |
|
Resumes abstract work (Klee inspired) |
|
|
1954 |
|
Holiday in St Tropex begins writing commission for publication Elle, Babar and the Professor |
|
|
1954 |
|
Son Antonie born; family moves back to Paris on Boulevard St Germain in Latin Quarter which remains their primary residence for nearly 30 years |
|
|
1956 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff’s Babar and the Professor published; deep grottoes/darkness and illumination |
|
|
1957 |
|
At the Top of One’s Voice is published; Laurent supplies the black and white pen illustrations |
|
|
1955 - 1959 |
|
Laurent abandons all painting other than Babar work until the mid 1970’s also does drawings for advertising, etc to help support family |
|
|
1962 |
|
Random House becomes his preliminary publisher; Hachette continues publishing the French language series |
|
|
1981 |
|
Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Story of Babar: more than 500 watercolors by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff included in major museum exhibition at the Centre Culturel du Marais in Paris. This geneis to a travelling USA museum exhibition. Babar’s Anniversary Album: Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff published for the occasion. Babar and the Ghost is also published this year. |
|
|
1985 |
|
Laurent leaves France for America. Settles in New England (Connecticut) Lives with writer Phyllis Rose. |
|
|
Exhibitions |
|
|
2004 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: Babar’s Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, traveling to New York Public Library |
|
|
2002 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: Babar’s Yoga for Elephants, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY. |
|
|
1999 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: Babar in Process: selections from fifty years of sketches and studies for book illustrations, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY (over eighty drawings including early mock-ups of books) |
|
|
1998 |
|
Jean de Brunhoff: Babar and Father Christmas, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY (complete Babar and Father Christmas drawings with small number of Laurent de Brunhoff Babar drawings also on view) |
|
|
1997 |
|
Telling Stories with Pictures: The Art of Children’s Book Illustration, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA (6 Laurent de Brunhoff recent watercolors) |
|
|
1996 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: Watercolors, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY |
|
|
1994 |
|
Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY (Laurent de Brunhoff 4 Babar prints) |
|
|
1994 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: the Wesleyan Years, Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, Middleton, CT (over 60 de Brunhoff Babar drawings) |
|
|
1993 |
|
BABAR ,exhibition for the festival D’Angouleme, Salon International de la Bande Dessinee, France (106 Babar drawings: 30 JDB; 106 LDB) |
|
|
1990 |
|
The Art of Babar: Drawings and Watercolors by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, participating museums:The Barnum Museum, Bridgeport, CT; Madison Art Center, Madison, WI;The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA; Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipen, Manitoba;The Frick Art Museum, Pittsburgh, PA; Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN; JB Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY; National Academy of Design, New York; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario (145 Babar drawings: 76 JDB; 69 LDB) |
|
|
1989 |
|
Laurent de Brunhoff: Babar’s Adventures and Babar in Hollywood, drawings for the two calendars exhibited at Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY |
|
|
1989 |
|
Nicholas Fox Weber’s major publication, The Art of Babar: the Work of Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff is published and leads to a second major museum travelling exhibition |
|
|
1987 |
|
Babar: Original watercolors by Laurent de Brunhoff, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York, NY (over 40 Babar drawings from 9 books) |
|
|
1987 |
|
Babar, Seibu Japan, 3 participating museums in Japan over a six month period (99 Babar drawings: 55 JDB; 44 LDB) |
|
|
1983 - 1984 |
|
Fifty Years of Babar: Watercolors by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, participating museums: Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Meridian House Int’l, Washington, DC; San Deigo Museum of Art; San Jose Museum of Art; Mary and Leigh Block Gallery, Evanston, IL; Cedar Rapids Museum; Baltimore Museum of Art; Toledo Museum of Art (214 Babar drawings: 87 JDB; 127 LDB) |
|
|
1981 |
|
Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Story of Babar: more than 500 watercolors by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff included in major museum exhibition at the Centre Culturel du Marais in Paris. This geneis to a travelling USA museum exhibition. Babar’s Anniversary Album: Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff published for the occasion. Babar and the Ghost is also published this year. |
|
|
1948 |
|
abstract paintings shown in group show, Galerie Maeght, Paris |
|
|
Literature |
|
|
1993 |
|
The Rescue of Babar published; illustrations by Laurent and story by Phyllis Rose |
|
|
1992 |
|
Babar’s Battle published |
|
|
1991 |
|
a third calendar, Babar in History, is produced |
|
|
1989 |
|
Babar’s Busy Year published |
|
|
1988 |
|
Babar’s Little Circus Star published |
|
|
1987 |
|
Babar’s Little Girl published; Babar and Celeste have a new baby--Isabella joinsthe series; Phyllis Rose helps write |
|
|
1986 |
|
Babar’s Counting Book published |
|
|
1984 |
|
Babar’s Book of Color published; because of superior printing, Laurent begins to watercolor on barely visible pencil lines keeping the heavy pen & ink outline separate. Allows for lighter, truer, painting |
|
|
1983 |
|
Babar’s ABC published |
|
|
1980 |
|
Babar’s Little Library published, four tiny books devoted to the elements air, earth, water, fire; also the shape book Babar the Magician published |
|
|
1980 |
|
Babar’s Little Library published, four tiny books devoted to the elements air, earth, water, fire; also the shape book Babar the Magician published |
|
|
1979 |
|
One Pig With Horns published |
|
|
1978 |
|
Babar’s Mystery and Babar Learns to Cook published |
|
|
1976 |
|
Babar Saves the Day published |
|
|
1975 |
|
Babar and the Wully-Wully published |
|
|
1974 |
|
Bonhomme and the Huge Beast published |
|
|
1973 |
|
Meet Babar and His Children published |
|
|
1972 |
|
Babar Visits Another Planet published |
|
|
1971 |
|
Gregory and the Little Turtle published |
|
|
1970 |
|
Babar’s Birthday Surprise published |
|
|
1970 |
|
little books Babar’s Bookmobile published |
|
|
1969 |
|
pop up Babar Goes to the Moon published |
|
|
1969 |
|
little books Babar’s Other Trunk published |
|
|
1968 |
|
pop up Babar’s Games published |
|
|
1967 |
|
Babar Loses His Crown published |
|
|
1966 |
|
little books Babar’s Trunk published |
|
|
1965 |
|
Babar Comes to America published; based on at the invitation of Robert Bernstein of Random House Laurent’s first trip to the United States. Also publishes two color book outside Babar series, Bonhomme. |
|
|
1963 |
|
Babar’s French Lessons published as well as Captain Serafina and Anatole and His Donkey |
|
|
1962 |
|
Serafina’s Lucky Find published |
|
|
1961 |
|
Babar’s Castle published and outside the Babar series, Serafina the Giraffe published |
|
|
1957 |
|
At the Top of One’s Voice is published; Laurent supplies the black and white pen illustrations |
|
|
1954 |
|
Babar’s Fair published; in part reflects his dream for the peace movement,Movement de la Paix |
|
|
1951 |
|
Babar’s Visit to Bird Island published; lush, seminal watercolors |
|
|
return to artnet.com
