Figure 1.--This Marlier illuistration was done in 1964 and shows a French family going shoping during the winter. Notice the Citron, a classic French car, in the background.
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Figure 1.--This Marlier illuistration was done in 1964 and shows a French family going shoping during the winter. Notice the Citron, a classic French car, in the background. |
Marcel Marlier is almostantly reconizable to almost every French-speaking person. Most of the French grew up learning to read with cheerful illistrations drawn by Marcel
Marlier. He illustarted French and Belgian children at the age that they were beginning to go to school for books that would help them with their reading. His modern and realistic
illustrations accuaretly depict, if a little idealized, typical garments that French children were wearing. He began drawing in the early 1950s and chronicled French
children through much of the second half of the 20th century. He also illustarted the children's magazines Martine for many years.
No information available.
Marcel Marlier was born in Herseaux, Belgium in 1930.
Marlier at age 16 pursued courses in the decorative arts of the Institute Saint-Luc de Tournai. He finishes his studies in July 1951 with the greatest distinction. He begins working as a Saint-Luc as professor in 1953.
Marcel Marlier is almostantly reconizable to almost every French-speaking person. Most of the French grew up learning to read with cheerful illistrations drawn by Marcel
Marlier. He illustarted French and Belgian children at the age that they were beginning to go to school for books that would help them with their reading. His career began in 1953 when he illustrated a book by Jeanne Cappe about about two very similar rabbits. In 1954 he began working in Martine a magazine with fun activitie for children and has proven a virtual French institution for decades.
While still a student, Marlier began developing a reputation for the quality of his draughtsman. The French publisher La Procure à Namur organized a drawing contest. They are interested in finding talented artists to illustrate works for school children. Two books result which guided a whole generation of French children through the first few years of school, I Read with Michel and Nicole and I Calculate with Michel and Nicole. To Americans this sounds very much like the Dick and Jane series. The drawings, except for the children's clothing, look quite similar in many ways. Marlier will collaborate with La Procure à Namur will last more than 25 years.
Figure 2.--This Marlier illuistration was done in 1963 and shows an outing to the zoo, this time during the summer. |
Pierre Servais at Casterman, a French publishing company, began to notice Marlier's drawings in 1951. He suggests that Marlier should illustrate a series of books for children. The result was editions of Alexandre Dumas' adventure books: Les croisières aventureuses du capitaine Pamphile, (1951), La comtesse de Ségur (Le petit de
rac, (1953); Un jour de bonheur, (1960), and Madame le Prince de
Beaumont, La belle et la bête (1973). Marlier also takes part in the Farandole
series, intended for the children. Marlier in 1953 begins to collaborate with Gilbert Delahaye in Martine, provide exciting reading for children along with many fun activities. Millions of French children in successive decades have enjoyed this publicatiion. Marlier still at Casterman both wrote and illustrated the series "Jean-Lou and Sophie", resulting in 12 books.
His modern and realistic
illustrations accuaretly depict, if a little idealized, typical garments that French children were wearing. He began drawing in the early 1950s and chronicled French
children through much of the second half of the 20th century. His early drawings usually show girls in dresses and boys in the trim cut short pants that French boys wore then. Interestingly, he did bot often draw boys in rompers or smocks. Nor do the boys wear berets. By the 1970s, the clothing begins to change. Boys began to be seen more on long pants and girls are no longer always posed in little dresses. His drawings closely followed the evolving fashion trends in France. Marlier's drawings most commonly show Belgian and French fashions from the late 1950s through the 1970s. A French reader tells us, "He rarely shows boys wearing rompers and blouses with puffed sleeves as was still common in the early 1950s. Also while he drew some younger boys wearing smocks, mostly boys he drew, even boys in school, wore short pants without smocks."
We know that books Marlier illustrated were widely marketed in France. We are nt sure how widely his illustrations were distribured in other countries. A german reader tells us there were many German editions. I have not noted his work widely distributed in America or Britain.
A French reader writes, "Marlier in his drawings gave children an idealized and innocent look. They may be a bit surprising for American readers after viewtyhe rather Puritan styles of American children. Children loved his books. My daughter born in 1970 insisted on getting the books and magazines he illustrated, especially the Martine . As a result we have an attic full of the beautiful books he published. My grandchildren are about ready for them."
Another French reader noted the Citroën in the background identifying the time frame of the drawing. "The Citroën was a luxury, very modern car. All of my family had aCitroën: father, brother and , sister. I had a DS 19 Citroën a littlke more modern model than the one picured here. Citroën is the family name of the car manufacturer. Citoën-Peugeot is the second more important car manufacturer in Europe after Volkswagen. They were very popular in Africa. Citroën manufactured 3.2 million cars in 2002. While Citroën has made no major effort to enter the U.S. market, the other major French car manufacturer, Reault, has. Renault spent a great deal of money in the effort, but had little success." Although Americans imported large numbers of British, German, and Japanese cars, one rarely saw a French car on American highways. HBC does not know enough about cars to know precisely why. The name did not help. Citroën means lemmon in Fremch and "lemon" in English is a slang word for a terrible, trouble-plagued car.
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