André François, an accomplished sculptor, printmaker, painter, cartoonist, and illustrator, entered the world as Andre Farkas in Temesvar, Austria-Hungary (now Timisoara, Romania) on 9 November 1915. After honing his skills at the Budapest School of Fine Arts, he ventured to Paris in 1934, where he immersed himself in the teachings of renowned poster artist Adolphe Cassandre for two years. Encouraged by his mentor, he created his inaugural posters for the esteemed French department store Galeries Lafayette, and was subsequently commissioned to produce works for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris. In 1939, he became a naturalized citizen and adopted the surname François, prompted by concerns for the safety of his Jewish family.
Following the fall of France in 1940, François relocated his loved ones first to Marseilles, and then Savoie. After the country’s liberation, they ventured back to Paris, ultimately settling in a rustic farmhouse in Grisy-les-Plâtres, where he erected his studio amidst the tranquil garden. It was there that he created mixed-media sculptures and paintings, deriving inspiration from the beauty and wonder of nature and animals.
François’ notable printmaking career encompassed both fine art and commercial endeavors. Beginning in the 1930s, he crafted lithographic posters for film and theater, and in the 1960s and ’70s, he delved into printmaking as a form of high art. His focus shifted to abstract color etching and lithography, and he became renowned for his audacious, raw abstractions of individuals and animals, occasionally incorporating humor and at times bordering on Surrealism.
Not only did François excel in this field, but he also found success as a cartoonist and illustrator. Le Nouvel Observateur, a leftist magazine, featured his political cartoons, propelling him to greater prominence in major publications throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In fact, he produced nearly fifty covers for the New Yorker, in addition to others for Punch, Sports Illustrated, Life, Vogue, Esquire, Le Mode, and Fortune. Moreover, he provided illustrations for a wide range of book covers, and even authored children’s books of his own. He was duly recognized as a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale.
www.ftn-books.com has several Francois titles available.
