Jessie Marion King was a Scottish illustrator known for her beautiful illustrated children"s books
Background
King was born in Bearsden, near Glasgow. Her father was James Wat(t)ers King, a minister with the Church of Scotland and her mother was Mary Anne Anderson. When King was very young, she would hide drawings she made in school for fear that her mother would tear them up.
Career
She also designed jewellery and fabric, and painted pottery. King was one of the artists known as the Glasgow Girls. She received a strict religious education and was discouraged from becoming an artist.
In 1892 she entered the Glasgow School of Artist
King was made Tutor in Book Decoration and Design at Glasgow School of Art in 1899. Despite the influence of Art Nouveau, she was inspired to create unique designs where she did not literally translate the real world.
"I would not copy designs," she said, "but insisted on drawing out of my head" During her early period, she created detailed pen and ink illustrations on vellum. Most of King"s earliest works involved illustration, she also wrote books and was a skilled jewelry designer.
Her first published designs, and some people believe her finest, were for the covers of books published by Globus Verlag, Berlin between 1899 and 1902.
The publisher was a subsidiary company of the great Berlin department store, Wertheim"son The publisher, Georg Wertheim, wanted her to design "a range of items in the "new Scottish Style."" She made a Grand Tour of Germany and Italy in 1902 and was influenced by the works of Botticelli. Her contribution to Art Nouveau peaked during her first exhibitions, Annan"s in Glasgow (1907) and Bruton Street Galleries, London (1905).
In 1910 they moved on to Paris where had gained a professorship at Ernest Percyval Tudor-Hart"s Studios.
In 1911 King and opened the Sheiling Atelier School in Paris. King and moved to Kirkcudbright in 1915 and continued to work there until her death.
Views
Quotations:
"I would not copy designs,".
Membership
King became a committee member of the Glasgow Society of Artists (1903) and a member of the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists (1905).