Josef Pierre Nuyttens (also known as Pierre Nuyttens; August 7, 1885 – January 9, 1960) was a Belgian-American artist. He was born in

Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

. His most notable works were his illustrations for four books by

L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...

as well as many portraits of notable people. Currently his art is within many permanent collections such as the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

and the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

at the Smithsonian Institution.

Biography

Nuyttens studied art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France until 1905. his main skills were in drypoint and etching but worked in a wide array of mediums and subjects. During the 1910s he created illustrations for

's novels ''

The Flying Girl ''The Flying Girl'' is a novel written by L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books. It was first published in 1911. In the book, Baum pursued an innovative blending of genres to create a feminist adventure melodrama. The book was followed by a sequel ...

'', ''

Phoebe Daring ''Phoebe Daring: A Story for Young Folk'' is a mystery novel for juvenile readers, written by L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz books. Published in 1912, it was a sequel to the previous year's ''The Daring Twins'', and the second and final inst ...

'', '' Annabel'' and '' The Flying Girl and Her Chum'' and created propaganda posters during World War I. He later received a bronze medal from the then queen of Belgium,

Elizabeth of Bavaria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria This is a list of the Austrian empresses, archduchesses, duchesses and margravines, wives of the rulers of Austria. The monarchy i ...

and a knighthood from the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

in 1918 for his works during the war.

Life in the United States (1925–1960)

He emigrated to the United States in 1925 first staying in New York City before moving to Chicago in 1934 and had become well known for his work illustrating portraits of notable persons of the day such as

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison. In the 1930s, he became known within the Chicago theatre circuit as a portrait painter of famous performers and as a costume designer for productions of

The Swing Mikado ''The Swing Mikado'' is a musical theatre adaptation, in two acts, of Gilbert and Sullivan's 1885 comic opera, ''The Mikado'', with music arranged by Gentry Warden. It featured a setting transposed from Japan to a tropical island. The show was fi ...

and Shakespeare plays. Nuyttens briefly owned a restaurant called the Chez Pierre, predecessor to the more well known Chez Paree, and later had to sell it when local gangsters tried to pressure him into selling bootleg alcohol. During his lifetime, his artwork was exhibited at the White House, the Congressional Library, the New York Public Library, the Royal Palace in Brussels and the Illinois State House in Springfield, IL with much of his work exhibited at the

. Nuyttens also participated in the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

in the art competition submitting two portraits, neither won in the competition. He died on January 9, 1960, in a house fire that destroyed a large amount of his body of work.

Gallery

File:Forget_me_not--Help_save_the_Belgian_babies.jpg, ''"Forget me not--Help save the Belgian babies"'' wartime poster, 1917 File:American field service LCCN2001700446.jpg, ''"American field service"'', wartime poster, 1917 File:Portrait_of_Lincoln_SCSM000933.jpg, Untitled portrait of Abraham Lincoln, unknown date

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nuyttens, Josef Pierre 1885 births 1960 deaths Belgian artists Belgian-American culture Olympic competitors in art competitions Belgian emigrants to the United States