René Bull facts for kids
René Bull was a talented British artist who worked as both an illustrator and a photographer. He was born in Dublin, Ireland, on December 11, 1872. His mother was French, and his father was English. René first went to Paris to study engineering, but his path changed when he met a famous French artist named Caran d'Ache (Emmanuel Poiré). Caran d'Ache was known for his funny and sometimes critical drawings about politics. René took drawing lessons from him and decided to become an artist instead of an engineer.
After his studies, René Bull returned to Ireland. There, he started drawing sketches and political cartoons for different newspapers, like the 'Weekly Freeman'. In 1892, he moved to London and continued his artistic career. He drew for a publication called "Illustrated Brits" and created cartoons for 'Pick-Me-Up' that were similar to Caran d'Ache's style.
In 1896, René joined the Black and White newspaper. He worked as a special artist and photographer, traveling to cover important events. For example, he reported on the Tirah Campaign in India in 1898. He also went to Sudan to cover the campaign that ended with the Battle of Omdurman. Later, he traveled to South Africa to document the Boer War. He stayed there until the city of Ladysmith was relieved in March 1900. René was injured that year and had to leave the war zone because of his wounds.
After his time as a war artist, René Bull settled in England. He drew cartoons for many popular magazines, including Bystander, Chums, London Opinion, and Lika Joko. In The Sketch magazine, he created funny drawings of made-up inventions. These drawings were similar to the later work of another famous artist, William Heath Robinson. From 1905, René also started illustrating books. Some of his most famous works include The Arabian Nights (1912), Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (1913), and Andersen's Fairy Tales.
When World War I began in 1914, René Bull joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a lieutenant. He later moved to the Royal Air Force and became a Major. During World War II, he worked for the Air Ministry, helping with technical duties. René Bull passed away on March 14, 1942.
René Bull's Illustrated Books
René Bull brought many stories to life with his drawings. Here are some of the books he illustrated:
- Jean De La Fontaine – Fables (1905)
- Joel Chandler Harris - Uncle Remus (1906)
- The Arabian Nights (1912)
- Alfred Edwin Johnson - The Russian Ballet (1913)
- Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1913)
- Prosper Mérimée – Carmen (1915)
- Jonathan Swift – Gulliver's Travels (1928)
- Hans Christian Andersen – Fairy Tales (around 1928)
- Joel Chandler Harris – Brer Rabbit Plays (1930)
- Zoo Friends (1939)
Magazines and Newspapers René Bull Worked For
René Bull's art appeared in many different publications over the years. Here are some of them:
- ‘Black and White’ (1892)
- ‘Chums’ (1892)
- ‘Pall Mall Budget’ (1893)
- ‘ILN’ (1893)
- ‘St. Paul’s’ (1894)
- ‘Lika Joko’ (1894)
- ‘English Illustrated Magazine’ (1894–96)
- ‘Pick-Me-Up: The New Budget’ (1895)
- ‘The Sketch’ (1895-1918)
- ‘The Ludgate Monthly’ (around 1896)
- ‘The Bystander’ (1904)
- Punch (1906–07)
