Wilhelm Busch
Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch (14 April 1832 – 9 January 1908) was a German humorist, poet, illustrator, and painter. He published wildly innovative illustrated tales that remain influential to this day.
Wilhelm Busch | |
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Self-portrait, 1894 | |
| Born | Heinrich Christian Wilhelm Busch 14 April 1832 Wiedensahl, Kingdom of Hanover (today Lower Saxony) |
| Died | 9 January 1908 (aged 75) Mechtshausen, Province of Hanover, German Empire (today part of Seesen, Lower Saxony) |
| Education | Hannover Polytechnic, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Beaux-Arts Academy, Antwerp, Academy of Fine Arts, Munich |
| Genre | Caricature, painting, poetry |
| Notable works | Max and Moritz |
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Busch drew on the tropes of folk humour as well as a profound knowledge of German literature and art to satirize contemporary life, any kind of piety, Catholicism, Philistinism, religious morality, bigotry, and moral uplift.
His mastery of drawing and verse became deeply influential for future generations of comic artists and vernacular poets. Among many notable influences, The Katzenjammer Kids was inspired by Busch's Max and Moritz. Today, the Wilhelm Busch Prize and the Wilhelm Busch Museum help maintain his legacy. The 175th anniversary of his birth in 2007 was celebrated throughout Germany. Busch remains one of the most influential poets and artists in Western Europe, being called the "Forefather of Comics".