Vintage Postcard Artists with 10 Examples of Easter Cards

We have already met the artist from France in the article about Easter symbols. Germane Bouret is known for her whimsical, even naughty children's characters, which are still cute without being cheesy. Her career started very early. She started seriously drawing at thirteen and won a national competition being only eighteen years old. All of Germaine's work was inspired by happy childhood memories shared with her twin brother Marcel, who was also an artist. They even collaborated on several projects.

Frances Brundage is another postcard artist we are already familiar with. She was among the most productive postcard artists with hundreds of published designs. Like most postcard artists, she loved to draw children characterized by plump red cheeks and dreamy eyes, reminding us of cherubs. She also illustrated picture books and collaborated with her husband Will. It's interesting to note she wasn't valued in her homeland, the USA, until she achieved success in Germany.

Gertrud Caspari was a German artist who also focused on kids and scenes from childhood in her works. She is credited as an 'inventor' of the so-called Caspari style. Her illustrations are characterized by bold edges and large areas of single-shaded colors, reminding us of coloring pages. Caspari style is still very popular among kids' illustrators. Gertrud's early years were marked by disease, making her stay in bed for several years. That's very likely the reason she started seriously drawing.

Vincenzo Castelli is a bit of a mystery. We know he illustrated picture books and designed posters but can't find a lot of additional info about his life and work. To make things even harder, an artist with the same name lived about one century before. Anyway, we clearly see he portrayed children in tranquil scenery (in this case with a lamb on the meadow), and, according to the greeting on the card, Castelli's work was sold outside of Italy too.

Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle was undoubtedly the most successful postcard artist in history. Flowers, eggs, chicken, and playful kids with curly hair were her favorite elements for Easter greeting cards. Despite her success with over three thousand credited designs, Ellen Clapsaddle lost everything (including her health and ability to earn) during World War I, which she experienced in Germany, where the top-quality printers were located.

Pauline Ebner was an illustrator and postcard designer from Austria. Information about her life is very scarce, but we can compare her Easter card with designs by her contemporaries. Children are her popular choice, but we can also notice she loved simple graphic solutions with clear lines and large monochromatic areas, similar to Gertrud Caspari's. If you like her work, here are more Easter cards by Ebner.

Achille Lucien Mauzan shared the story of many artists being almost unknown in France, where he was born, but quite successful in Italy and especially in Argentina. While he was a painter, illustrator, and sculptor, his true legacy lies in posters and postcards, both characterized by vivid colors and humor. While most people today have never heard of Mauzan, his originals offered at auctions frequently achieve prices over one or more thousand dollars.

The primary profession of this American artist was a stained glass designer. Clara Miller Burd studied in New York and Paris. She designed about two hundred (!) windows and murals in churches across the eastern coast of the USA. Today, she is best known for her illustrations for books and magazines. As we can see, she also created picture postcards.

Jenny Eugenia Nystrom was the most successful Swedish illustrator of her time. She loved to portray characters from Scandinavian folklore, creating a link between traditional and modern perceptions of holidays, as we can see on her Easter postcard. Most people never heard about Easter witches, mischievous characters who supposedly fly on broomsticks to Blakulla (an island where witches meet the devil) on Good Friday and return on Easter Eve. Easter in Sweden is often composed of elements we are more familiar with from other holidays. There are Easter eggs, home visits of masked characters who demand candy like at Halloween, an Easter tree, similar to a Christmas tree, etc.

If you enjoy this Swedish (and Finnish) tradition, here are a few more Easter witches postcards.

While Samuel Loren Schmucker created Easter greetings with bunnies and eggs like everybody else, he also designed postcards with more fantastic illustrations. His 'Flower Babes' is a perfect example of using pagan elements (flowers, young girls) in modern Easter postcards. By the way, virtually all of his 'babes' and 'girls' are drawn after the same model - Katharine Rice, who was his wife and muse.

Ourn presentation of vintage Easter cards is over. Now is your turn!