André François

André François (1915–2005) was a French cartoonist, illustrator, painter and sculptor, one of the most influential graphic humorists of the 20th century. He was born into a Hungarian family in Temesvár (now Timișoara, Romania) and spent almost his entire creative life in France, becoming a French citizen in 1939. He is best remembered for his cartoons, whose subtle, poetic humour and influence – often compared to that of Saul Steinberg – reached a wide international audience through the British magazine “Punch” and “The New Yorker”. He created many covers for “The New Yorker” and illustrated numerous books, including children’s books by Jacques Prévert. His drawings combine a light, nervous line with surreal, dreamlike ideas, such as the watercolour “Winged Man” offered by TUMO Gallery. Later in life he devoted more time to painting and sculpture, often using found objects. His work was honoured with retrospectives in France and remains a reference point for generations of illustrators.