Fernand Fau

Fernand Fau was a French illustrator and cartoonist whose work appeared regularly in the popular journals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on 13 July 1858, he was active from 1886 to 1900, contributing to such celebrated publications as *Le Chat noir* and *Le Rire*, as well as the series *Série 9*. Fau is best known for his satirical, often whimsical line drawings, which captured the spirit of Belle Époque Paris with a light, observant touch. He worked primarily as an artist and inker, though he also wrote some of the pieces he illustrated. His style, rooted in the caricature tradition, favored clean outlines and expressive, exaggerated figures that conveyed humor and social commentary without heavy shading. While he collaborated with other writers and editors of the era, his most enduring work remains his solo contributions to the humor magazines that defined the period. Fau died on 27 November 1915, leaving behind a body of work that, while not widely known today, offers a vivid window into the visual culture of fin-de-siècle France. His legacy is preserved in the archives of these journals, where his drawings continue to be studied by historians of comics and illustration.