In writing a post on bookplates, I was reminded that one of my favorite bookplate artists is Adolf Born, a Czech painter and illustrator who in addition to creating some very funny bookplates has also produced a wealth of prints, lithographs, and wonderful illustrations.. Almost everything Born does has a wry sense of humor that I find captivating, along with his sense of color and a general voluptuous-ness about life. How can one not resist the charm of the bookplate above, the Commedia masked mermaid with the fish on her head? Or the hilarity of the animal "Art Critics" below?
Beasts, the fantastic, and humans co-mingle comfortably in Born's world such at this group of travelers in "Duer's Tour Through Alps To Venice"; or Leonardo doing a portrait of his cat Liza with her enigmatic smile and beasty-birdy onlookers; or an "Intimate Meeting" between a suave dog and a young woman sharing a glass of wine (too much like my daughter and her beloved pit bull), and finally, a hilarious version of Leda and the Swan.
And I did say saucy mermaids -- of which there are many in Born's work such as the two below, the first titled "Entertainers" and the second one, "Good Hunting."
Go here to see a full gallery of Born's work -- it's a great way to have a few laughs, marvel at his whimsical imagination, and avoid doing any work of your own.
Midori Snyder is the author of nine books for children and adults, published in English, French, Dutch, and Italian. She won the Mythopoeic Award for The Innamorati, a novel inspired by early Roman myth and the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte" tradition....
