Josef Pierre Nuyttens | |
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| Born | (1885-08-07)August 7, 1885[1] Antwerp, Belgium |
| Died | January 9, 1960(1960-01-09) (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Belgian |
Josef Pierre Nuyttens (also known asPierre Nuyttens; August 7, 1885 – January 9, 1960) was a Belgian-American artist. He was born inAntwerp, Belgium.[3] His most notable works were hisillustrations for four books byL. Frank Baum as well as many portraits of famous people. Currently his art is displayed in many permanent collections such as theArt Institute of Chicago and theNational Portrait Gallery at theSmithsonian Institution.[4]
Nuyttens studied art at theRoyal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and theÉcole des Beaux-Arts inParis,France until 1905.[5] his main skills were indrypoint andetching[4] but worked in a wide array of mediums and subjects. During the 1910s he created illustrations forL. Frank Baum's novelsThe Flying Girl,Phoebe Daring,Annabel andThe Flying Girl and Her Chum and created propaganda posters duringWorld War I.[5][6] He later received a bronze medal from the then queen of Belgium,Elizabeth of Bavaria and a knighthood from theOrder of Leopold in 1918 for his works during the war.[3]
He emigrated to the United States in 1925 first staying inNew York City before moving to Chicago in 1934[3] and had become well known for his work illustrating portraits of notable persons of the day such asCalvin Coolidge,Abraham Lincoln andThomas Edison.[4] 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 ofThe Swing Mikado and Shakespeare plays.[7] Nuyttens briefly owned a restaurant called the Chez Pierre, predecessor to the more well knownChez Paree, and later had to sell it when local gangsters tried to pressure him into selling bootleg alcohol.[5] 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 theArt Institute of Chicago.[5] Nuyttens also participated in the1932 Summer Olympics in theart competition submitting two portraits, neither won in the competition.[3] He died on January 9, 1960, in a house fire that destroyed a large amount of his body of work.
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