Édouard Riou
Encyclopedia
Édouard Riou was a French painter and illustrator
of books by Jules Verne
.
Riou was a pupil of Charles-François Daubigny
and Gustave Doré
, graduated in 1859. "Before and after his association with Hetzel, Riou specialized for many years in landscape painting and commemorative pieces (the opening of the Suez Canal, the marriage of the Russian tsar’s daughter, etc.)." In 1868 Verne wrote: "I have received the drawings from Riou. I have several suggestions to make which I’ll mention to him by return mail. I think he needs to make the people much smaller and the rooms much larger. And he needs to add much more detail... By the way, it was an excellent idea to use Colonel Charras as the model for Captain Nemo. I should’ve thought of that."
Edmondo Marcucci wrote: “Riou’s drawings are rich with light, and the traits of his characters have a vigorous expression. Riou succeeds in adapting himself artistically to the realistic reproduction of the many fantastic locales of the Vernian fictional geography: the mists and the glacial icepacks, the shadows inside the Earth’s crust, the deserted and expansive beaches, and the many bodies of water and their movement... Everything is both ordered and evocative in Riou’s work—his style might be called ‘romantic realism’...”
Ron Miller has said: “I believe his work stylistically spans the transition between the illustrators of the early 19th century and those of the latter half—when the profession of professional illustrators became established. Some of the qualities that Riou carried over were the often cartoon-like depiction of characters and the use of numerous ‘spot’ illustrations.”
Riou illustrated Walter Scott
’s Ivanhoe
(1880) and Waverley
, Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris
, and Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo
(1887). He became a member of the Legion of Honour.
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
of books by Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
.
Riou was a pupil of Charles-François Daubigny
Charles-François Daubigny
Charles-François Daubigny was one of the painters of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of Impressionism....
and Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
, graduated in 1859. "Before and after his association with Hetzel, Riou specialized for many years in landscape painting and commemorative pieces (the opening of the Suez Canal, the marriage of the Russian tsar’s daughter, etc.)." In 1868 Verne wrote: "I have received the drawings from Riou. I have several suggestions to make which I’ll mention to him by return mail. I think he needs to make the people much smaller and the rooms much larger. And he needs to add much more detail... By the way, it was an excellent idea to use Colonel Charras as the model for Captain Nemo. I should’ve thought of that."
Edmondo Marcucci wrote: “Riou’s drawings are rich with light, and the traits of his characters have a vigorous expression. Riou succeeds in adapting himself artistically to the realistic reproduction of the many fantastic locales of the Vernian fictional geography: the mists and the glacial icepacks, the shadows inside the Earth’s crust, the deserted and expansive beaches, and the many bodies of water and their movement... Everything is both ordered and evocative in Riou’s work—his style might be called ‘romantic realism’...”
Ron Miller has said: “I believe his work stylistically spans the transition between the illustrators of the early 19th century and those of the latter half—when the profession of professional illustrators became established. Some of the qualities that Riou carried over were the often cartoon-like depiction of characters and the use of numerous ‘spot’ illustrations.”
Verne's novels
- (1865) Five Weeks in a BalloonFive Weeks in a BalloonFive Weeks in a Balloon, or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen is an adventure novel by Jules Verne.It is the first Verne novel in which he perfected the "ingredients" of his later work, skillfully mixing a plot full of adventure and twists that hold the reader's interest with...
– 51 illustrations by Riou (40) and Henri de Montaut (5), unsigned (6), engraving by Coste, Delaville, Dumont, Fournier, Hildibrand, Pannemaker, Prunaire (1865) - (1866) The Adventures of Captain Hatteras – 259 illustrations by Riou (190) and Henri de Montaut (69), engraving by Barbant, Cazat, Delaville, Dumont, Hildibrand, Joliet, Linton, Pannemaker, Pierdon, Pisan, Prunaire (1866)
- (1867) Journey to the Center of the EarthJourney to the Center of the EarthA Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a German professor who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth...
– 56 illustrations, engraving by Pannemaker, Gauchard, Maurand (1867) - (1868) In Search of the CastawaysIn Search of the CastawaysIn Search of the Castaways is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–1868. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Édouard Riou. In 1876 it was republished by George Routledge & Sons as a three volume set titled "A Voyage Round The World"...
– 175 illustrations, engraving by Delaville, Gauchard, Maurand, Pannemaker, Prunaire (1868) - (1871) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne published in 1870. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax...
– 111 illustrations by Riou (24, the first eleven chapters) and Alphonse de Neuville (86), engraving by Hildibrand (1871) - (1875) The Survivors of the ChancellorThe Survivors of the ChancellorThe Survivors of the Chancellor: Diary of J. R. Kazallon, Passenger is an 1875 novel written by Jules Verne about the final voyage of a British sailing ship, the Chancellor, told from the perspective of one of its passengers ....
– 45 illustrations by Riou (45) and Jules FératJules FératJules-Descartes Férat was a French artist and illustrator, famous for his portrayals of factories and their workers.He illustrated the books of many known authors, such as Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Victor Hugo. Some critics consider his illustrations for Jules Verne's novel The Mysterious...
(13), engraving by Barbant, Crosbie, Dumont, Hildibrand, Louis, Meaulle, Pannemaker (1875)
Riou illustrated Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
’s Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
(1880) and Waverley
Waverley (novel)
Waverley is an 1814 historical novel by Sir Walter Scott. Initially published anonymously in 1814 as Scott's first venture into prose fiction, Waverley is often regarded as the first historical novel. It became so popular that Scott's later novels were advertised as being "by the author of...
, Victor Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
, and Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is often considered to be, along with The Three Musketeers, Dumas's most popular work. He completed the work in 1844...
(1887). He became a member of the Legion of Honour.
See also
- Jules VerneJules VerneJules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
(1828–1905) - Jules FératJules FératJules-Descartes Férat was a French artist and illustrator, famous for his portrayals of factories and their workers.He illustrated the books of many known authors, such as Jules Verne, Edgar Allan Poe, and Victor Hugo. Some critics consider his illustrations for Jules Verne's novel The Mysterious...
(1819–1889) - Léon BenettLéon BenettLéon Benett, was a French painter and illustrator. He was born in Orange, Vaucluse. He changed his name to "Benett" to differentiate his career in the administration of his work as a draftsman....
(1839–1917) - Georges RouxGeorges RouxGeorges Roux was a French artist and book illustrator. His best-known works today are a large number of illustrations he created for the science-fiction novels of Jules Verne, in the series Les voyages extraordinaires...
(1850–1929) - Henri de Montaut (1840–1905)
- Émile-Antoine Bayard (1837–1891)
- Alphonse de Neuville (1835–1885)
- Alfred Quesnay de Beaurépaire (1833-1900)
- Paul-Dominique PhilippoteauxPaul PhilippoteauxPaul Philippoteaux was a French artist. He is best known for a cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg.-Life and career:Paul Philippoteaux was born in Paris, the son of the French artist Henri Emmanuel Felix Philippoteaux...
(1846-1923) - Henri Mayer (1844–1899)
- Georges Tiret-Bognet (1855–1930 or 1935)