Benjamin Rabier was born
at La Roche-sur-Yon, December 30, 1864. Former IRS Inspector for the city of
Paris, he became a drawing artist and first worked for the Imagerie d'Epinal.
He then started to publish his caricatures and drawings in different papers
and periodicals of the times.
| It is in 1906 that he started to specialized in books for children. He met a great success with animal stories, seldom domestics one. And so we credit him with the caracter of Gedeon the duck. | |
There are also a few short animations, cut up, published by Pathé Baby in 1932
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THE LAUGHING COW, LITTLE |
| April 16th 1921, Leon Bel copyrighted the label La Vache qui rit (The Laughing Cow) and the drawing of a laughing cow, which he redone himself from a drawing by Benjamin Rabier, logo used by "The truck of supply in fresh meat" during World War I 1914-1918. This logo was nicknamed "La Wachkyrie". (Wach for "Vache" (Cow) Kyrie for "Qui Rit" (Laughing)) |  |
| In 1922 - Léon Bel, after consulting with a few illustrators, choose the project by Benjamin Rabier (1864-1939). He asked the Printer Vercasson to touch-up the drawing : the cow becomes red and is wearing earrings shaped like the box of The Laughing Cow. |
In
1923, Vercasson copyrighted the drawing under his name, with the
title "Vache rouge", (The Red Cow), a law suit will follow which
will end with Bel having to pay damages to the descendant
of Vercasson in order to use the color red for The Laughing Cow..
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Some of the illustrations
shown above
are now available as giclee
reproductions.
All limited Editions of 175,
From 01 to 07 printed on Arches Paper,
price: $600.00 or stretched on canvas $750.00 (color only)
From 08 to 175 on Epson paper Photo
quality black & white,or color, price: $250.00
All with the same measurements:
Arches Paper:
Mat: 20" x 20"
Picture: 15"1/2 x 15"1/2
On Canvas:
50.7cm x 50.7 cm
Stretched: $750.00
Delivered in a tube. Price includes delivery
at the door: $600.00 (USA only)
La Galerie |