The name Ludwig Bemelmans may not ring a bell, but his most famous sentence certainly does: “In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve littles girls in two straight lines.” Yes, that’s Madeline, the sweet, independent, brave Parisian and redhead schoolgirl.
It’s been 75 years since Austrian artist Bemelmans published the original Madeline. Publishing house Viking is releasing the 75th anniversary edition for $25. (Purchase here.) Luckily for all young children, the story of Madeline has continued with Bemelmanns’ grandson John Bemelmans Marciano since 1999.
Bemelmans is most known for Madeline, but his drawings also live on at The Carlyle’s hotel bar, Bemelmans Bar, in NYC. In exchange for living accommodations at the hotel, he painted large-scale murals of whimsical park scenes, which took about 18 months.
Bemelmans was born to a Belgian father and German mother. After his father abandoned the family for the governess, his mother brought them to Germany. The German style of discipline and school proved difficult for Bemelmans and he was sent to apprentice at his uncle’s hotel in Austria. According to biographies, Bemelmans shot and nearly killed a fellow employee, and his uncle gave him to options: reform school or America.
He was 16 years old when he left for the Big Apple in 1914. He found work as a busboy at the Ritz-Carlton, where the hotel’s clientele inspired him to sketch illustrations of the patrons. In fact, he created the tale of Madeline in NYC’s Pete’s Tavern. He later became a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, Town and Country and Holiday.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Madeline’s publication, the New-York Historical Society honors the beloved character and her creator with an exhibition, “Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans,” of more than 90 original drawings, photographs and paintings. The original drawings from the six Madeline books will be there as well as panels from the Onassis yacht. The exhibition opens July 4 and closes October 19.
Main image: Madeline at the Paris Flower Market, 1955, The Estate of Ludwig Bemelmans
Second image: Cover for Madeline’s Rescue, 1953, The Estate of Ludwig Bemelmans
Third image: “The little girls all cried ‘Boo-hoo!,” 1956-57, The Estate of Ludwig Bemelmans
