Edmund J Sullivan

Edmund Joseph Sullivan was a British book illustrator, celebrated for his prolific contribution to the emerging world of graphic design and book illustration at the end of the nineteenth century. He began his career by producing news and portrait illustrations for Daily Graphic and Pall Mall Magazine at the age of nineteen, developing his style during a time of explosive activity for print, as new advances in technology created an insatiable demand for illustrated magazines. Much of Sullivan’s work was rendered in pen and ink and became very proficient in this medium. It was said that “he used the pen like a bayonet”. He continued to produce large volumes of work throughout his life and though his magazine work continued, he also moved into the field of literature illustration. Celebrated works from E.J. Sullivan include illustrations for The Compleat Angler, Tom Brown’s Schooldays and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. E.J. Sullivan was a noted teacher and taught classes in both book illustration and lithography. His final publication was Towards the Light, published in 1932.

Ruth Keating 2014