Published 12:24 IST, February 28th 2020
Google Doodle pays tribute to 'Alice in Wonderland' illustrator Sir John Tenniel
Google honoure British illustrator and artist Sir John Tenniel's 200th birth anniversary with a doodle on February 28. Tenniel is an acclaimed Victorian painter
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Google honoured British illustrator and artist Sir John Tenniel's 200th birth anniversary with a doodle on February 28. Tenniel, an acclaimed Victorian painter is famous for his illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Tenniel was born in Bayswater, West London in 1820. Tenniel succumbed to a critical eye injury and lost sight in his right eye at the age of 20. Tenniel was praised as a humorist and also showcased his talent for scholarly caricature from a very early age.
The Mad hatter tips all his hats to you. 🎩
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) February 28, 2020
Happy birthday Sir John Tenniel. #GoogleDoodle
➡ https://t.co/8Q07ItCEAR pic.twitter.com/bNIbNYFIlN
Lewis Caroll impressed by Tenniel's work
He reportedly created his first illustration for Samuel Carter Hall's The Book of British Ballads in 1842. After eight years, he joined the historic weekly magazine Punch as a political cartoonist. In the meantime, Lewis Carroll was impressed by Tenniel's distinct style of work and in 1864, approached the artist to illustrate his book, Alice in Wonderland.
Arthur Rackham's Gothic Alice in Wonderland illustrations. At the time, in 1907, many felt that Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations for Alice (1865) had become so iconic that any other interpretation was blasphemy. However, Rackham made Alice both more sweet & more scary. pic.twitter.com/zBMImz9BwW
— ewan morrison (@MrEwanMorrison) February 23, 2020
Creative collaboration
It marked Carroll and Tenniel's creative collaboration and continued with Through the Looking Glass in 1872. Celebrating the artist's 200th birthday, the Google Doodle page reads, "The result: a series of classic characters, such as Alice and the Cheshire Cat, as depicted in the Doodle artwork's rendition of their iconic meeting-characters who, along with many others, remain beloved by readers of all ages to this day".
Tenniel resumed his work with Punch after working with Lewis Carroll. Tenniel was also honoured with a knighthood in 1893 for his exemplary work. Tenniel died on February 25, 1914, at the age of 93.
12:24 IST, February 28th 2020