HF/TrierBio

Born in Prague, Walter Trier first attended the Industrial School of Fine and Applied Arts and then the Prague Academy, before studying in Munich under Franz von Stuck. Immediately after graduating, he was offered a job in Berlin, where he lived and worked happily until fleeing from Nazi Germany in 1936. His exile took him to London, Toronto and finally Collingwood, Ontario, where he died in his studio (Warthorst, 221).

Further information regarding Trier's biography can be found on this page.

As an illustrator Trier occupied a special position: the title pages of books he illustrated showed his name alongside the author's name and as early as 1923, the Ullstein publishing house commissioned Trier to create pictures before having found an author to write the story that was to be accompanied by the illustrations. In England, Trier then began to create his own picture cycles, for which he subsequently sought authors. For three children's books that were very important to him (Ten Little Negroes, Dandy the Donkey and Dandy in the Circus) he wrote the texts himself (Neuner-Warthorst 177). While the appearance of his illustrations aligned with the text in format, print technique, and style, he never subordinated it to the text. He saw himself as a commentator, highlighting specific situations within the text and adding a punchline or even satirical comments. In many cases, Walter Trier’s illustrations told a story of their own, one that worked independently of the text (Neuner-Warthorst 168-169).

Trier was selective with his clients and could afford to be choosy, often quoting high prices for projects he didn't like as a way of declining. Clients frequently paid the hefty fee regardless. However, as Kurt Maschler put it, "if he [Trier] did like the work very much, he said he would do it at any price" (Neuner-Warthorst 164-165). Over the course of his life, Walter Trier created illustrations for the works of many well-known English and American authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, Robert Louis Stevenson and Daniel Dafoe. The list of German authors whose works featured illustrations by Trier includes Erich Kästner, Hermann von Wedderkop, Erika and Klaus Mann as well as Alfred Richard Meyer and Alice Berend, to only name a few. Overall, there is evidence that Trier preferred working with writers, humorists and artists from moderately left-wing circles (Neuner-Warthorst 168).

Sources:

Neuner-Warthorst, Antje. Walter Trier: Eine Bilderbuch-Karriere. Nicolai, 2014.

Warthorst, Antje M. Die Bilderwelt des Walter Trier. Favoritenpresse, 2022.