Unforgettable 200 years of Sir John Tenniel, a British illustrator

February 28 is pinned as the 200th anniversary of British political cartoonist, illustrator, graphic humorist Sir John Tenniel. In his memory, google doodle also gave a tribute on his anniversary.  ”Tenniel’s illustration has animated the imagination of children and adults alike for generations. His legacy continues to thrive, as readers cherish these timeless work of art to this day” google wrote this description while dedicating the doodle to him.

Sir John was born in Bayswater, West London in 1820. He was only sixteen when his first painting was exhibited. At the age of 20 he received a major eye injury and he lost the vision of his right eye.

In 1850, he began his work as a political cartoonist at the weekly magazine called Punch.  Due to his near-photographic memory, he had a distinctive style. In 1864, Sir John met Carroll in Alice’s Adventure in wonderland. It was the start of his success, which continued with “Thought of the Looking Glass” in 1871. After a while, Sir John decided not to work with Carroll and returned to work with Punch as a political cartoonist.

In 1893, Sir John has acknowledged a knighthood for his contribution as a political cartoonist at Punch in addition to his illustrations in the two books by Carroll. 

Google doodle has showcased his illustration wherein a girl named Alice is looking up at the Cheshire cat in a tree. Letter L of the google is made by the bent arm of Alice. The google doodle is a photograph of the drawing in Tenniel’s style.

Sir John Tenniel died on 25th February  1914, at the age of ninety-three. He died  3 days before his twenty-fourth birthday. 

May his soul rest in peace!