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Oscar Pletsch facts for kids

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Oscar Pletsch
Oskar Pletsch002.jpg
Born (1830-03-26)March 26, 1830
Berlin, German Confederation
Died January 12, 1888(1888-01-12) (aged 57)
Radebeul, German Empire
Occupation Illustrator
Nationality German
Period 19th century

Oscar Pletsch (born March 26, 1830 – died January 12, 1888) was a talented German artist. He is best known for his amazing illustrations in children's books. His pictures often showed scenes from everyday family life. He became one of the most popular children's book illustrators of his time.

Oscar Pletsch: Illustrator for Kids

His Early Life and Training

Oscar Pletsch was born in Berlin in 1830. His father was a drawing teacher and a lithographer. A lithographer is someone who creates prints using a special stone or metal plate.

From 1846 to 1850, Oscar studied art in Dresden. He attended the Art Academy there. His teachers included famous artists like Ludwig Richter and Eduard Bendemann.

Developing His Unique Style

After his studies, Pletsch worked in Dresden until 1855. Then he moved back to Berlin, where he stayed until 1871. During this time, he started to focus on "genre painting." This type of art shows scenes from everyday life.

He was greatly influenced by Ludwig Richter. Pletsch loved to draw pictures of children and family moments. He often used a technique called woodcut. This is a way of making prints by carving an image into a block of wood.

Famous Books and Success

Oscar Pletsch became very successful in 1860. This was when his book Die Kinderstube in 36 Bildern (which means The Nursery in 36 Pictures) was published. It was a huge hit!

From then until 1881, he released a new children's book almost every year. Most of these books were published by Alphons Dürr in Leipzig. Pletsch's illustrations became famous not just in Germany, but also in England, France, Sweden, and the USA. He truly became one of the most important children's book illustrators of the 1800s.

In 1872, at the peak of his career, Pletsch moved to Niederlößnitz. He had his own home and art studio there. He continued to live and work in this home until he passed away in 1888. He was buried in the Radebeul-West cemetery. In 1877, the King of Saxony honored him with the title of professor.

Key Works

Here are some of Oscar Pletsch's well-known illustrated books:

  • The Nursery in 36 Pictures, (1860)
  • Little Lily's Alphabet, (1865)
  • Little Folks, (1868)
  • Happy Spring-Time in Pictures, (1869)
  • The Child's Auction, and other stories, (1869)
  • The Holiday, and other stories, (1870)
  • Chimes and Rhymes for Youthful Times!, (1871)
  • Child-Land: picture-pages for the little ones, (1874)
  • Buds and Flowers of Childish Life, (1875)
  • Schnick Schnack: trifles for the little ones, (1876)

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