Most everyone knows of MADELINE, one of the most beloved characters in children’s picture book literature. She’s the brave, charming little girl living in a the old Paris boarding school “covered in vines” along with the eleven other girls, all under the ever watchful eye of the towering Miss Clavel.
However fewer people may know that Madeline was created by the talented writer and artist Ludwig Bemelmans (born 1898 - died 1962) whose whimsical, impressionistic illustration drawing and painting style brought the Madeline character to life. From 1939 through 1957 five wonderful Madeline picture books written & illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans were released, with his sixth and final Madeline picture book title released posthumously in 1985.
Madeline 1939
Madeline’s Rescue 1953
Madeline and the Bad Hat 1956
Madeline and the Gypsies 1959
Madeline in London 1961
Madeline’s Christmas 1985
So where exactly do I come in? In a nutshell, the publisher Viking Press (Penguin/Random House) had been planning a series of 5 new Madeline mini hard cover picture books and board books (written by John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans) with the first title scheduled for release in 2022. But they needed an illustrator capable of creating the illustrations purposely mimicking the distinctive drawing style of Ludwig Bemelmans. Denise Cronin, the executive art director at Viking had seen some of my picture books and felt I might be a possible illustrator for the project. So back in the fall of 2019 she described the scope of the project and tentatively offered it to me…
My career as an illustrator has never had anything to do with mimicking another artist’s style, so this project posed a dilemma of sorts. I knew I had the inherent skills to successfully emulate the Bemelmans unique style, perhaps even better than anyone else. I was already very familiar with most all his picture books having many Bemelmans titles in my picture book collection -and thus already quite knowledgable of his drawing style. So I contemplated taking on the project and ultimately felt a kind of obligation to do it, to act as the proper guardian of the Madeline style -ensuring that these new pictures books will indeed look and feel (as closely as possible) as if they were created by the hand of the originator, Ludwig Bemelmans. So I said yes to the project.
Posted here are just a couple of the preliminary test sample illustrations I initially created purposely in the manner of the Bemelmans’ Madeline style, assuring Viking Press I could actually handle such a project, as well as to also gain the required approval from the Bemelmans estate.
Look for the new Madeline picture books beginning in February 2022!
Click on the link below to get a sneak peek at some of the preliminary sketches as well as a few completed final illustrations for the first two books in the new series, LOVE from Madeline, and Madeline’s ABC’s
see a video about this special MADELINE project on Steven’s YouTube.com channel.
At The Zoo - a test illustration created by Steven Salerno, purposely mimicking the stye of the originator of the Madeline character, Ludwig Bemelmans. This drawing was created digitally.
Bedtime - a test illustration created by Steven Salerno, purposely mimicking the stye of the originator of the Madeline character, Ludwig Bemelmans. This drawing was created digitally.
Brushing Teeth - a test illustration created by Steven Salerno, purposely mimicking the stye of the originator of the Madeline character, Ludwig Bemelmans. This drawing was created digitally.