Though his life was tragically short, Charles Henry Bennett, is considered one of the pioneers of comic illustration. One can find his witty illustrations and caricatures peppered throughout Punch, The Comic Times, and other popular periodicals of the 1850s and 1860s. In addition to periodicals, he also authored and illustrated several children’s books. In 1856, Bennett published a book titled, Shadows, based on 24 of his humorous color prints portraying assorted characters in Victorian society. Each print depicts an individual silently stalked by an amusing shadow revealing his/her “true” or underlying character. These comic illustrations were very popular and reprinted repeatedly over time in various publications. Though widely respected in the profession for his inventiveness and technique, Bennett died in complete poverty at the early age of 37. Shortly after his death, John Tenniel, noted “Alice in Wonderland” illustrator, and several other of Charles Bennett’s admirers held a benefit to aid his widow and children.
The Commentary
The Old Goose
Beer
- Description:
- Bennett, Charles H. Shadows. London : W. Kent & Co. (late D. Bogue), [185-?].
- Persistent Link:
- http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:8043268
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University
These are very clever illustrations. I only recently heard about Charles Henry Bennett’s work, but I managed to track down some reprints of his older stuff on Amazon. It’s a shame that someone with that much talent died in such a state of insolvency. He should have been able to make a decent living with so much creativity.