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Ernest ShepardEnglish artist and book illustrator.
Date of Birth: 10.12.1879
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Ernest Shepard
Ernest Shepard was an English artist and book illustrator. He gained fame for his illustrations in Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" and especially in Alan Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh" series, both of which featured anthropomorphic animals.
Early Life and Career
Shepard served as a participant in World War I and began working for the satirical magazine "Punch" in 1907. During his time there, he provided satirical coverage of the war and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery in battle. He continued working for "Punch" until 1953, serving as the chief cartoonist for the last eight years of his tenure.
Collaboration with Alan Milne
Shepard recommended Milne to another artist from "Punch," E.H. Shepard. Initially, Milne was skeptical about their collaboration but asked Shepard to illustrate his collection of children's poems, "When We Were Very Young." Impressed by the illustrations, Milne insisted that Shepard also illustrate "Winnie-the-Pooh." However, both Shepard and Milne, as well as Milne's son Christopher Robin, eventually grew somewhat disillusioned with the character of Pooh, feeling that it overshadowed all of Shepard's other works. Shepard's inspiration for Pooh came from his own son's teddy bear, "Growler," which was unfortunately destroyed by Shepard's dog.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1969, while Shepard was still alive, the Victoria and Albert Museum held an exhibition featuring 300 sketches of his illustrations for "Winnie-the-Pooh." Shepard created his Pooh paintings with oil, and one of these rare paintings was sold for $285,000 in 2000. It is now displayed in Winnipeg, Canada, the birthplace of the real-life bear named Winnie that inspired the character of Pooh.
Shepard wrote two autobiographies: "Drawn from Memory" (1957) and "Drawn From Life" (1962). Tragically, his son Graham died on September 21, 1943, during World War II when his ship was sunk by a German submarine. Shepard's daughter Mary also became an illustrator and illustrated Pamela Travers' "Mary Poppins."
