Google has paid tribute to British illustrator, graphic humorist, and political cartoonist Sir John Tenniel on his 200th birth anniversary with a doodle.
He was an acclaimed Victorian painter. He was famous for his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
Tenniel’s first illustration was for Samuel Carter Hall’s “The Book of British Ballads” in 1842. And then after eight years, he teamed up with the historic weekly magazine Punch as a political cartoonist.
Lewis Carroll noticed the illustrator’s distinct style of work. In 1864, Carroll approached the artist to illustrate his book – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
He was born in Bayswater, West London in 1820. Tenniel was a quiet and introverted person, both as a boy and as an adult.
At the age of 20, he had a major eye injury, which caused him to lose sight in his right eye.
At a very early age, Tenniel was appreciated as a humorist. Soon after, he also cultured his talent for scholarly caricature.
This creative partnership between Carroll and Tenniel continued with Through the Looking Glass in 1872.
According to the Google Doodle page, “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.”
He received a knighthood in 1893 by Queen Victoria. It was the first such honor ever bestowed on an illustrator or cartoonist Tenniel died on February 25, 1914, at the age of 93. He was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London.
