“I made designs for wall-paper,” he says, “for cotton stuffs, even,—to say nothing of illustrations for booksellers and book-writers, and for song-writers.”
Some of his most important work has been done through the medium of a newspaper. During the years 1891-92 Gil Blas printed all the drawings Steinlen could finish. He laboured with energy almost ferocious, under the pressing need of means for daily existence. The result was the finest. It is not too much to state
MOTHER’S LOVE
that this work of Steinlen’s in Gil Blas helped to revolutionise illustrative art in the periodicals of France.
He gave to the accomplishment of his editor’s orders his best effort, and filled during nearly two years the weekly pages, not for the amusement of his public, but for their awakening to the interest in the life of Paris as seen in the Faubourgs. Awaken and instruct he did. He made a call upon sympathy, and stirred and stimulated charity; but also his art was an epoch in illustrative journalism.
Public and editors demanded thenceforth more than the inadequate drawings of mediocrity, and solicited sketches from the best pencils. The modern French weeklies exhibit the cleverest possible illustrations, forming in their class the highest grade.
Frontispiece and other drawings in Le Rire and Gil Blas to-day by Jean Veber, Léandre, Willette, are delights to the collector, and any one possessing the years containing Steinlen’s contributions to these papers is considered fortunate.