The Polish artist Zygmunt Leopold Brunner (who at different times also used the names Zyg Brunner, Zyg-Brunner, Zig Brunner, Zygismund Brunner and Sigismond Leopold), grew up in Warsaw, and showing an aptitude for art arrived in Paris, the centre of the art world, in 1900. A talented draftsman, caricaturist, and illustrator, he had his first art exhibition in 1905 at the age of twenty-seven, and went on to exhibit at the Salon des Humoristes from 1911 to 1913.

His illustrations first appeared in the Gazette du Bon Ton, and soon his work was to be seen in La Vie Parisienne, Fantasio, La Baïonnette, Le Rire, Le Sourire, and many other publications. As well as his erotic work for classics including Gamiani and Le diable au corps, he created illustrations for children’s books such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and drew the illustrations for Anatole France’s novel Abeille (The Bee). His friend the artist Francis Carco said of Brunner’s work, ‘Rarely has illustration been executed with such laudable awareness and such generosity of detail.’

Zygmunt was married to Germaine Brunner, née Lacordey, and had his studio in the rue Fontaine in Montmartre.

We are very grateful to our Russian friend Yuri for suggesting the inclusion of this artist, and for supplying most of the images.