Josef Pierre Nuyttens | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 9, 1885 |
| Died | January 9, 1960 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
Josef Pierre Nuyttens (also known as Pierre Nuyttens) was a Belgian-American artist born August 9, 1885 in Antwerp, Belgium[2]. His most notable works were his illustrations for four books by L. Frank Baum as well as many portraits of notable people. Currently his art is within many permanent collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institute[3].
Biography edit
Nuyttens studied art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France until 1905[4]. his main skills were in drypoint and etching[3] but worked in a wide array of mediums and subjects. During the 1910s he created illustrations for L. Frank Baum's novels The Flying Girl, Phoebe Daring, Annabel and The Flying Girl and Her Chum[5] and created propaganda posters during World War I[4][6]. He later received a bronze medal from the then queen of Belgium, Elizabeth of Bavaria and a knighthood from the Order of Leopold in 1918 for his works during the war[2].
Life in the United States (1925-1960) edit
He emigrated to the United States in 1925 first staying in New York City before moving to Chicago in 1934[2] and had become well-known for his work illustrating portraits of notable persons of the day such as Calvin Coolidge, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison[3]. In the 1930s, he became known within the Chicago theatre circuit as a portrait painter of famous performers and as a costume designer for productions of The Swing Mikado and Shakespeare plays[7]. Nuyttens briefly owned a called the Chez Pierre, predecessor to the more well known Chez Paree, and later had to sell it when local gangsters tried to pressure him into selling bootleg alcohol[4]. During his lifetime, his artwork was exhibited at the White House, the Congressional Library, the New York Public Library, the Royal Palace in Brussels and the Illinois State House in Springfield, IL with much of his work exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago[4]. Nuyttens also participated in the 1932 Summer Olympics in the art competition submitting two portraits, neither won in the competition[2]. He died on January 9, 1960 in a house fire that destroyed a large amount of his body of work, making any original pieces very rare.[5]
Gallery edit
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"Forget me not--Help save the Belgian babies" wartime poster, 1917 -
"American field service", wartime poster, 1917 -
Untitled portrait of Abraham Lincoln, unknown date
References edit
- ^ "Chicago Art History,Chicago Artists,Illinois Historical Art Project". Chicago Art History,Chicago Artists,Illinois Historical Art Project. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Pierre Nuyttens Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
- ^ a b c "Josef Pierre Nuyttens - Biography". rogallery.com. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
- ^ a b c d "Untitled (Lake Shore Drive, Chicago), ca. 1950 by (Josef) Pierre Nuyttens (Belgian/American, 1885 - 1960) - Richard Norton Gallery". richardnortongallery.com. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
- ^ a b "Josef Pierre Nuyttens (1885 - 1960) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
- ^ "The "Man of Force" Who Saved Belgium | HistoryNet". HistoryNet. 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2016-05-31.
- ^ "Books at Iowa - Don Farran - Recollections of the Federal Theatre". www.lib.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 2016-05-31.