First and Only Weekly Webzine Devoted to the Life and Works of Edgar Rice Burroughs Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages in Archive

Tribute

The Danton Burroughs Archive www.dantonburroughs.com

Camille (Caz) Cazedessus Legendary ERB Scholar  and Fanzine Editor

Tarzan Artist
Zdenek Burian

From 1969 – 1970 renowned Czech artist Zdenek Burian
illustrated three of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels --
Tarzan of the Apes, The Return of Tarzan and The Beasts of Tarzan,
although the cover painting to The Beasts of Tarzan originally appeared on the jacket of a 1938 edition.

John Coleman Burroughs, son of Edgar Rice Burroughs and an artist himself,
was so impressed with the art that he arranged to buy most of the originals from Mr. Burian.
 24 of these original illustrations have been displayed on
the walls of the Tarzana offices of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. for almost 50 years.

Much of this Burian art was introduced to ERB fans by Camille (Caz) Cazedessus
in a portforlio and in the pages of his award winning fanzine ERB-dom around that time.

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Zdenek Burian
(Zeh-DEN-yeck BURR-ee-yahn)
(1905-1981)

Zdenek Burian was born was born in the town of Koprivnice in northern Moravia on February 11, 1905. By age 16 his adventure illustrations were already being published. When he enrolled in an Art curriculum at the Academy of Prague in the early '20s he was already a published illustrator. He also worked as a construction laborer to help pay his tuition but he eventually flunked out of the Academy.

He then worked at odd jobs for a living and for awhile lived off the land in more remote areas of the country. During this time experimented with different art techniques -- gradually developing his own style. His time in the "wilds" influenced his work for the rest of his life, giving his art a an authenticity and reality reflecting his kinship with nature.

In 1927 he began a twenty-year-long association with the publisher Vilimek, illustrating magazines for boys: World of Adventure and Young Readers. He went on to illustrate countless books by both Czech, English and American authors, mainly adventure books by writers such as: Edmondo de Amicis, Karel May, James Oliver Curwood, Zane Grey, Kipling, Verne, Dumas, London.

In 1935, Burian completed his first fossil restoration, and over the next 46 years, Burian would complete nearly 500 prehistoric animal restorations and landscapes.  He is perhaps best known for his illustrations of prehistoric man and flora and fauna.

Much of his best work was found in the books by Professor Josef Augusta, an association which lasted until Augusta's death in 1968. Burian was an extremely prolific and versatile artist, possibly creating up to 20,000 pieces of art in his lifetime. He is highly regarded in the Czech Republic where his paintings are considered national treasures.

The Tarzan art on these pages is prominently displayed in the Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. offices in Tarzana, California. It is some of the most admired ERB art ever done.

ERB Archivist Cathy Wilbanks in the ERB, Inc. Office

Burian Art Display in the Front Office of ERB, Inc., Tarzana, California

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Click for full-size images

Tarzan and a Jewel of Opar

2. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. IV

3. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. V

4. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. VII

5. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. VIII

6. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. X

7. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XI

8. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XII

9. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XIV

10. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XV

11. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XVI

12. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XIX

13. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XX

14. Tarzan of the Apes Ch. XXI

15. Tarzan of the Apes XXIII

 
 
 

Part II of the Zdenek Burian Tribute is featured at:
ERBzine 0821

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