Lenona
2020-09-26 14:50:18 UTC
He lives in Levallois-Perret, France. He was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1994 and 2000. He's also a writer.
Not to be confused with the younger French hipster who became a fashion model at age 60!
I first saw his work in the 1977 The Story of Edward, about a donkey who wears a suit and has a talent for waltzing.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/search/books/?q=philippe%20dumas&sf=t
(Six Kirkus reviews)
https://olfactoriastravels.com/2015/01/09/the-hermes-cahiers-sketches-and-drawings-by-philippe-dumas/
(pictures from the Hermès sketchbooks)
http://www.babalibri.it/catalogo/autore/philippe-dumas
(photo)
From "Contemporary Authors":
"Some of my earliest memories center on World War II. I knew early on that my father was taken prisoner and then escaped to unoccupied southern France. My pregnant mother fled to Cannes, where I was born shortly after her arrival in 1940.
"After the German army invaded the unoccupied territory in November 1942, my parents no longer had any reason to hide in Cannes. So we returned to Paris. I was about three years old at the time. Paris was still in a state of great turmoil. There were frequent bomb alerts at night, and I recall many a night waiting in our bathrobes in the basement for the 'all clear' signal. . . . As a child I was deeply impressed by the violence which was going on all around me.
"I have four brothers and one sister. It was very important for me to grow up in a large family: it meant many books around the house, many games being played and many stories being told by the elders. I still dream of a big family, although we now have a girl and four boys, and my wife, Kay, is less enthusiastic about further expanding our numbers. . . .
"I have always drawn. My father was an amateur painter and on Sundays when the weather was fine, I would go with him to draw outdoors. Then we would go to Julien's studio and draw a nude female. I was twelve years old and dreamed of becoming Van Gogh. Later, I studied painting at the Metiers d'Art and then attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts. It was a period during which theory was exceedingly important, and big words were used to express simple thoughts. I, on the other hand, prefer people who say important things with simple words. Also, all of my teachers belonged to the abstract art movement. What I've always enjoyed in painting is the anecdotal and a narrative approach. I like art that, while not necessarily naive, is simple.
"Along with my paintings, I have always created half-drawn, half-written little stories. When I was in school, I wrote stories about my life as a pupil. Later I wrote stories about my fortunes or misfortunes in love. And I kept writing and drawing stories about my own life until I had children, at which point I began writing and illustrating stories for them. I've always done painting and illustration side-by-side. Although they are very different, they complement each other and, I'm interested in both mediums.
"I never wanted to be an illustrator. I cannot stand the traditional connotation of illustration: drawings that merely reiterate the text. Unless the illustrator is a genius, he is necessarily going to steal images from the reader's imagination. A good drawing can suggest many things, and I've always tried to accentuate something that is in the text without specifically being in it. That's what I call a 'picture-novel.' That's to say a novel where text and drawings are put together to serve a story without redundancies. It's more about annotating than illustrating. The books of the nineteenth-century Swiss illustrator Rodolphe Topffer, who mixes drawings and text is really the model for my work. . . .
WRITINGS:
SELF-ILLUSTRATED; FOR CHILDREN
Laura, le terre-neuve d'Alice, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1976, translation by wife, Kay Fender, published as Laura, Alice's New Puppy, David and Charles, 1979.
Histoire d'Edouard, Flammarion, 1976 , translation by Gwen Marsh published as The Story of Edward, Parents Magazine Press, 1977.
Les Avatars de Benoit (title means "Ups and Downs of Benjamin" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1976, Dent (London), 1980.
La petite geante, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977, translation by Kay Fender published as The Little Giant, Dent, 1978.
Lucie, la fille d'Edouard, Flammarion, 1977 , translation by Gwen Marsh published as Lucy, Edward's Daughter, Dent, 1977, translation by Michael Rosenbaum published as Lucie: A Tale of a Donkey, Prentice-Hall, 1980.
Ondine au fond de l'eau (title means "Ondine beneath the Waves" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
Le Professeur Ecrouton-Creton (title means "Professor Ecrouton-Creton" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
Menteries et verites (title means "Lies and Truths" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978.
Cesar, le coq du village, Flammarion, 1978, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Caesar, Cock of the Village, Prentice-Hall, 1979, published as Caesar, the Village Cockerel, Dent, 1979.
Laura et les bandits, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Laura and the Bandits, David and Charles, 1980.
Le Maison, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1979, translation by Elsie Fender published as The House, Dent, 1980.
Laura sur la route, 1979, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Laura on the Road, David and Charles, 1979.
L'Equitation et l'ecole espagnole de Vienne, Flammarion, 1980, translation by Mariana Fitzpatrick published as The Lippizaners and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Prentice-Hall, 1981.
Laura perd la tete, 1981, translation published as Laura Loses Her Head, David and Charles, 1981.
Comptines francaises, comptines coquines, jeux de mots (title means "French Nursery Rhymes and Naughty Rhymes" ), Flammarion, 1981.
Ce changement-la (title means "This Change" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1981.
Laura fète Noel (title means "Laura Celebrates Christmas" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Il Pleut, il pleut, bergere, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1985.
Peche a pied (title means "Fishing in the Rock Pools" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1986.
Victor Hugo s'est egare, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1987.
A Farm: Reflections of Yesteryear, Creative Editions (Mankato, MN), 2000.
OTHER; SELF-ILLUSTRATED
Les Rats, Editions de Saint-Aubin, 1971.
(With Ionic Parlier) Robidu, Hachette (Paris), 1972.
Les brigands calabrais (title means "The Brigands of Calabria" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
(With Boris Moissard) Les contes a l'envers (title means "Topsy-turvy Fairy Tales" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
(With Boris Moissard) Les Aventures du vantard (title means "Adventures of a Braggart" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978.
Monsieur Menee, Editions Arthur Hubschmid, 1979.
Coffret de chansons (title means "Casket of Songs" ), Flammarion, 1982.
Coffret d'histoires (title means "Casket of Stories" ), Flammarion, 1983.
ILLUSTRATOR
Kay Fender, Odette: A Bird in Paris, Prentice-Hall, 1978, published as Odette: A Springtime in Paris, Gollancz (London), 1978.
Theophile Gautier, Le Roman de la momie (title means "The Story of the Mummy" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1979.
Charles Dickens, Captain Boldheart (juvenile), Dent, 1980.
Jan Dutourd, Oeuvres romanesques (title means "Selected Works" ), Flammarion, 1980.
Marcel Ayme, Les Contes du chat perche (juvenile; title means "Tales of a Perched Cat" ), Gallimard, 1980.
Guyde Maupassant, De nouvelles de Maupassant, (short stories) 3 volumes, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1981-82.
Roger Rudigoz, Les Contes de la souris chauve (juvenile; title means "Tales of a Baldheaded Mouse" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Andre Roux, adapter, Bible en images: Ancien Testament, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Jakob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, The Queen Bee, Creative Education, 1984.
Anton Chekhov, Histoires pour rire et sourire (title means "Stories to Make You Laugh and Smile" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1984.
Haute de Gamme: l'art de vivre a la francaise, Flammarion, 1985.
James Hurst, The Scarlet Ibis, Creative Education, 1988.
Anne Trotereau, Portraits devinettes d'auteurs illustres: pastiches et anagrammes, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1994.
Sophie Cherer, Ma Dolto, Stock (Paris, France), 2008.
Aharon Appelfeld, Adam and Thomas, translation by Jeffrey M. Green, Seven Stories (New York, NY), 2015.
Not to be confused with the younger French hipster who became a fashion model at age 60!
I first saw his work in the 1977 The Story of Edward, about a donkey who wears a suit and has a talent for waltzing.
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/search/books/?q=philippe%20dumas&sf=t
(Six Kirkus reviews)
https://olfactoriastravels.com/2015/01/09/the-hermes-cahiers-sketches-and-drawings-by-philippe-dumas/
(pictures from the Hermès sketchbooks)
http://www.babalibri.it/catalogo/autore/philippe-dumas
(photo)
From "Contemporary Authors":
"Some of my earliest memories center on World War II. I knew early on that my father was taken prisoner and then escaped to unoccupied southern France. My pregnant mother fled to Cannes, where I was born shortly after her arrival in 1940.
"After the German army invaded the unoccupied territory in November 1942, my parents no longer had any reason to hide in Cannes. So we returned to Paris. I was about three years old at the time. Paris was still in a state of great turmoil. There were frequent bomb alerts at night, and I recall many a night waiting in our bathrobes in the basement for the 'all clear' signal. . . . As a child I was deeply impressed by the violence which was going on all around me.
"I have four brothers and one sister. It was very important for me to grow up in a large family: it meant many books around the house, many games being played and many stories being told by the elders. I still dream of a big family, although we now have a girl and four boys, and my wife, Kay, is less enthusiastic about further expanding our numbers. . . .
"I have always drawn. My father was an amateur painter and on Sundays when the weather was fine, I would go with him to draw outdoors. Then we would go to Julien's studio and draw a nude female. I was twelve years old and dreamed of becoming Van Gogh. Later, I studied painting at the Metiers d'Art and then attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts. It was a period during which theory was exceedingly important, and big words were used to express simple thoughts. I, on the other hand, prefer people who say important things with simple words. Also, all of my teachers belonged to the abstract art movement. What I've always enjoyed in painting is the anecdotal and a narrative approach. I like art that, while not necessarily naive, is simple.
"Along with my paintings, I have always created half-drawn, half-written little stories. When I was in school, I wrote stories about my life as a pupil. Later I wrote stories about my fortunes or misfortunes in love. And I kept writing and drawing stories about my own life until I had children, at which point I began writing and illustrating stories for them. I've always done painting and illustration side-by-side. Although they are very different, they complement each other and, I'm interested in both mediums.
"I never wanted to be an illustrator. I cannot stand the traditional connotation of illustration: drawings that merely reiterate the text. Unless the illustrator is a genius, he is necessarily going to steal images from the reader's imagination. A good drawing can suggest many things, and I've always tried to accentuate something that is in the text without specifically being in it. That's what I call a 'picture-novel.' That's to say a novel where text and drawings are put together to serve a story without redundancies. It's more about annotating than illustrating. The books of the nineteenth-century Swiss illustrator Rodolphe Topffer, who mixes drawings and text is really the model for my work. . . .
WRITINGS:
SELF-ILLUSTRATED; FOR CHILDREN
Laura, le terre-neuve d'Alice, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1976, translation by wife, Kay Fender, published as Laura, Alice's New Puppy, David and Charles, 1979.
Histoire d'Edouard, Flammarion, 1976 , translation by Gwen Marsh published as The Story of Edward, Parents Magazine Press, 1977.
Les Avatars de Benoit (title means "Ups and Downs of Benjamin" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1976, Dent (London), 1980.
La petite geante, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977, translation by Kay Fender published as The Little Giant, Dent, 1978.
Lucie, la fille d'Edouard, Flammarion, 1977 , translation by Gwen Marsh published as Lucy, Edward's Daughter, Dent, 1977, translation by Michael Rosenbaum published as Lucie: A Tale of a Donkey, Prentice-Hall, 1980.
Ondine au fond de l'eau (title means "Ondine beneath the Waves" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
Le Professeur Ecrouton-Creton (title means "Professor Ecrouton-Creton" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
Menteries et verites (title means "Lies and Truths" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978.
Cesar, le coq du village, Flammarion, 1978, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Caesar, Cock of the Village, Prentice-Hall, 1979, published as Caesar, the Village Cockerel, Dent, 1979.
Laura et les bandits, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Laura and the Bandits, David and Charles, 1980.
Le Maison, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1979, translation by Elsie Fender published as The House, Dent, 1980.
Laura sur la route, 1979, translation by Deirdre Engel published as Laura on the Road, David and Charles, 1979.
L'Equitation et l'ecole espagnole de Vienne, Flammarion, 1980, translation by Mariana Fitzpatrick published as The Lippizaners and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Prentice-Hall, 1981.
Laura perd la tete, 1981, translation published as Laura Loses Her Head, David and Charles, 1981.
Comptines francaises, comptines coquines, jeux de mots (title means "French Nursery Rhymes and Naughty Rhymes" ), Flammarion, 1981.
Ce changement-la (title means "This Change" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1981.
Laura fète Noel (title means "Laura Celebrates Christmas" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Il Pleut, il pleut, bergere, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1985.
Peche a pied (title means "Fishing in the Rock Pools" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1986.
Victor Hugo s'est egare, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1987.
A Farm: Reflections of Yesteryear, Creative Editions (Mankato, MN), 2000.
OTHER; SELF-ILLUSTRATED
Les Rats, Editions de Saint-Aubin, 1971.
(With Ionic Parlier) Robidu, Hachette (Paris), 1972.
Les brigands calabrais (title means "The Brigands of Calabria" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
(With Boris Moissard) Les contes a l'envers (title means "Topsy-turvy Fairy Tales" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1977.
(With Boris Moissard) Les Aventures du vantard (title means "Adventures of a Braggart" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1978.
Monsieur Menee, Editions Arthur Hubschmid, 1979.
Coffret de chansons (title means "Casket of Songs" ), Flammarion, 1982.
Coffret d'histoires (title means "Casket of Stories" ), Flammarion, 1983.
ILLUSTRATOR
Kay Fender, Odette: A Bird in Paris, Prentice-Hall, 1978, published as Odette: A Springtime in Paris, Gollancz (London), 1978.
Theophile Gautier, Le Roman de la momie (title means "The Story of the Mummy" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1979.
Charles Dickens, Captain Boldheart (juvenile), Dent, 1980.
Jan Dutourd, Oeuvres romanesques (title means "Selected Works" ), Flammarion, 1980.
Marcel Ayme, Les Contes du chat perche (juvenile; title means "Tales of a Perched Cat" ), Gallimard, 1980.
Guyde Maupassant, De nouvelles de Maupassant, (short stories) 3 volumes, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1981-82.
Roger Rudigoz, Les Contes de la souris chauve (juvenile; title means "Tales of a Baldheaded Mouse" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Andre Roux, adapter, Bible en images: Ancien Testament, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1982.
Jakob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, The Queen Bee, Creative Education, 1984.
Anton Chekhov, Histoires pour rire et sourire (title means "Stories to Make You Laugh and Smile" ), L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1984.
Haute de Gamme: l'art de vivre a la francaise, Flammarion, 1985.
James Hurst, The Scarlet Ibis, Creative Education, 1988.
Anne Trotereau, Portraits devinettes d'auteurs illustres: pastiches et anagrammes, L'Ecole des Loisirs, 1994.
Sophie Cherer, Ma Dolto, Stock (Paris, France), 2008.
Aharon Appelfeld, Adam and Thomas, translation by Jeffrey M. Green, Seven Stories (New York, NY), 2015.