Cartoon by Benoît.
Benoît van Innis, who signed his work with Benoît, was a Belgian graphic artist, painter and cartoonist. He was known for his one-panel cartoons featuring static people in costume, often accompanied by ironic captions. In all fields, he worked in a linear, colorful style. He was also a well-known tile artist who has decorated several public places. Benoît's work has been exhibited and published all over the world.
Sequential cover illustration for The New Yorker, 25 March 1991.
Early life
Benoît van Innis was born in 1960 in Bruges as the son of a juridic advisor. He was raised in a huge family with seven other siblings and, as was typical for Flemish bourgeoisie at the time, spoke French at home and only Dutch when meeting other people in the city. In 1976, he quit his studies at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwcollege in Bruges and instead took a painting course at St. Lucas in Ghent, tutored by abstract painter Dan Van Severen. Benoît graduated in 1984. He counted Jean Bosc, H.M. Bateman, André François, René Magritte, Jean-Jacques Sempé, William Steig, Saul Steinberg, Glen Baxter and Ronald Searle among his graphic influences. His favorite novelist was Francis Ponge, while he admired film directors like Luis Buñuel, Andrei Tarkovsky, Robert Bresson and Jacques Tati and adored the music of Erik Satie.
Translation: 'Writer with courgette'.
Style
Benoît's cartoons often feature neatly dressed people in natural backgrounds, such as forests, beaches and gardens. Their stiff, formal appearance provided an amusing contrast with the dry, humorous captions underneath the illustrations. Benoît sometimes worked in pen and ink, but was equally swift with oil paint. His cartoons continued the Belgian surreal tradition of René Magritte and Paul Delvaux, but also drew inspiration from classic slapstick films. Benoît was strongly influenced by comedians such as Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy and Jacques Tati who - despite bumbling along - always wear dignified costumes.
During the 2020-2021 COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Benoît published his illustrated "corona diary". These were daily drawings distributed by mail and Whatsapp, drawn in a loose graphic style.
Cover illustrations for The New Yorker, respectively 6 August 2001 and 10 November 2003.
Publications
Benoît's work has been published in Belgian magazines like Panorama (later P-Magazine), Humo, Knack and Le Vif, as well as the newspapers De Morgen and De Standaard (from 1984 on). Dutch readers know him from Vrij Nederland and the newspapers NRC Handelsblad and De Volkskrant. In France, he could be found in Lire, Magazine Littéraire, Le Monde and Paris Match. In the latter magazine, Benoît published cartoons on a bi-weekly basis, alternating with Jean-Jacques Sempé. Benoît has also made several covers for Esquire and the prestigious American magazine The New Yorker. His first publication in The New Yorker was the highlight of his life, particularly when he received a congratulatory letter from Sempé.
A series of "spots" for The New Yorker, about the subject 'Readers'.
Benoît's first book, 'Scrabbelen In de Herfst' ("Playing Scrabble in the Autumn", 1989) had a foreword by graphic artist Ever Meulen. His second book, 'Het Verboden Museum' ('The Forbidden Museum', 1990) came with an introduction by poet Roland Jooris. Among his other titles are 'Felle Hemel' (1993), 'Bravo, Bravo!' (2000), 'Mijn Oom Gilbert' (1995) and 'Le Vent est Bleu' (2002). The exhibition catalog 'Papier, Beeld & Basis' (1998) featured artwork by Benoît and Glen Baxter, scripted by Jan Florizoone and Bob Vincke. In 2008, at the request of pianist Claire Chevalier, he made illustrations inspired by the music of composers Erik Satie and François Poulenc. During the stage show 'Babar/Le Fils des Étoiles', these illustrated musical pieces were performed with monologues by actor Josse De Pauw.
Graphic contributions
Along with Gal (Gerard Alsteens), Quirit, Peter De Roy, Jan Bosschaert, Erik Meynen, Zak and Jan De Maesschalk, Benoît was one of many cartoonists who made a graphic contribution to Johan Anthierens' anti-royalty book 'Brief Aan Een Postzegel' (Kritak, 1990). Together with François Avril, Philippe Bertrand, Theo van den Boogaard, Florence Cestac, Jean-Claude Denis, Hunt Emerson, Emmanuel Excoffier, Moebius, Willem, Daniel Hulet, Ana Juan, Ralf König, Tanino Liberatore, Frank Margerin, Jean-Claude Mézières, Gérald Poussin, Miguelanxo Prado, Yves-Aloys Robellaz, Matthias Schultheiss, Raives, Gilbert Shelton, Joost Swarte, Alex Varenne, Ever Meulen, Philippe Vuillemin, Marc-Renier, Wolinski and Kamagurka he also contributed work to 'Les Aventures du Latex - La Bande Dessinée Européenne s'Empare du Préservatif' (Fondation du Présent, 1991), a Swiss educational comic promoting condom use. Benoît additionally paid tribute to Gal (Gerard Alsteens) in Johan Anthierens' book 'Gal: de Overspannen Jaren' (Epo, 1996) and to Ever Meulen during the 'Ever Meulen & Friends' exhibition in October 2017 in Brussels.
Benoît's contribution to 'Les Aventures du Latex'. Translation: "After dinner Mr. de Kerckhove offered them a contraceptive." (A pun on "apéritif" ["aperitif"]).
Tile art
Benoît was also known for his tile art. Some of his colorful wall paintings can be seen at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, the Grote Markt ("Grand Market") in Deinze, the care center in Wingene, the subway station in Maalbeek, the Jan Breydel association football stadium, restaurant De Refter in Bruges, and, in Antwerp at the Wezenberg public swimming pool and the Mercator-Noordstar office. Following the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks in Brussels that caused death and destruction at the Zaventem airport and the Maalbeek metro station, Benoît designed a new wall painting in the metro station as a memorial tribute to the victims.
Legacy and influence
After a long illness, Benoît van Innis died in February 2024. He was 63 years old. Benoît was a strong graphic influence on Belgian cartoonist Steve (aka Steve Michiels). Benoît's daughter, Alice van Innis (1988), has also been active as a graphic artist.
Design for a tile collection for Carrelages du Marais.