Édouard François Zier

Édouard François Zier was born in Paris in 1856. He received his instructions in art from his father Victor Casimir Zier and later became a pupil of the painter Jean-Léon Gérôme.[1]

His first painting, Mort de Caton d'Utique ("Death of Cato"), was exhibited at the Salon of 1874.[2][3] Charles VI et Odette appeared at the 1880 Salon;[4] these two paintings and also Esther (1883) were purchased by the French State.[2][5] His Julia (Julie, 1875) on a Roman theme was shown at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition and was awarded a gold medal.[1] [3]

Zier is known foremost however as an illustrator, for a wide variety of genres.[6]

He has illustrated for a number of periodicals, such as L'Illustration, Le Monde illustré,[2] Le Courrier français, and Le Journal de la jeunesse.

Two of the adventures of the comic book series Bécassine (1917 and 1918) were illustrated by Zier while the original artist Joseph-Porphyre Pinchon served in World War I.[7][8]

A number of published books were illustrated by him, such as The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas,[6][9] Aphrodite by Pierre Louÿs,[2][10] Le Roman comique by Scarron,[2] La cantiniére du XIIIe siècle by Georges Le Faure,[10] Les Trésors de la fable by Auguste Louvet, Voyages et aventures du Capitaine Marius Cougourdan by Eugène Mouton,[11] Seulette and Le Trésor de Madeleine by Pierre Maël,[11] A l'abordage by Henry de Brisay,[12] Papillonne by Zénaïde Fleuriot.[13]

He died in Thiais on 19 January 1924.[6]

• 
  Acis et Galatée, Acis and Galatea hide from Polyphemus
  1877
• 
  Aphrodite: mœurs antiques
  1900
• 
  Portrait idéal
  1903
• 
  Ophelia
  1904
• 
  Les Baigneuses à Biarritz

Citations

Bibliography

• Lambiek Comiclopedia article