 Charles
H. Bennett Blue Animal ABCs Giftwrap
Charles Henry Bennett was an illustrator’s illustrator; a modest — and
un-schooled but very talented — artist born in 1828 in London
and working in that period of the Victorian era that was the “Golden
Age of Caricaturists,”
a contemporary of Thomas Nast and Honoré Daumier. His life was tragically
short, only 38 years, yet his output was prolific. His work frequently appeared in Punch as well as newspapers. His style was as biting,
satiric, and moral as his peers who exaggerated the features of public
officials and public fools. Bennett preferred beguiling the viewer by dressing
animals up as people. At first glance the effect is cute but closer examination
reveals a depth of characterization that is unexpected.
Images include Ape, Bull, Cat, Dog, Elephant, Fox, Goose, Herring, Ibis, Jackdaw, Kangaroo, Lion, Mouse, Nightingale, Owl, Parrot, Quail, Rabbit, Shark, Turkey, Unicorn, Vulture, Wolf, Xtinct, Yellowhammer and Zebra.
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