Bruno Heroux - The Story of the Big Bad Wolf

Bruno Héroux came from a Huguenot family on his father's side. He was born in Leipzig, the son of the engraver Louis Héroux, and lived with his wife, Minna. He studied art from 1886 to 1892 at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences for Graphic Design and Book Art. The invention of the halftone printing block made his initial desire to work as a wood engraver futile. After a temporary job in the commercial sector, he initially earned a living as an illustrator for fashion and comedy magazines.

From 1900 onwards, he worked as a freelance graphic artist and the following year was already represented with three works at the International Art Exhibitions in Dresden. His etched bookplates and the use of the special graphic form of Remarquendrucke, in particular, contributed to his popularity and reputation. As early as 1903, he was appointed a lecturer at the Royal Academy of Graphic Arts in Leipzig. In 1908, he was awarded the title of professor. From 1900 to 1910, he regularly exhibited his paintings and prints at the Salon des Artistes Français in Paris. In 1910, he compiled his first 200 graphic works in a catalogue raisonné. The self-published catalogue was published in a one-time edition of 500 copies, 100 of which were supplied as a special edition with an etching and the artist's signature. The successful draftsman, who was respected and supported by contemporaries such as Max Klinger,

Heroux was exceptionally productive. In eight years, he produced 600 illustrations for the three-volume Hand Atlas of Human Anatomy by physician Werner Spalteholz (1861-1940), published in Leipzig in 1913; the illustrations are considered masterpieces of anatomical drawing. Within two years, he had also created the illustrations for the Atlas of Horse Anatomy, published from 1901 onward. He also published several portfolios of drawings he made during his travels through Italy and Russia. In 1913, he was the artistic director of the art collection Das Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Weiheschrift 1813-1913), which included, among other works, his portraits of Leipzig mayors Otto Georgi, Rudolf Dittrich, and Carl Bruno Tröndlin.
For many years, Héroux was chairman of the Leipzig branch of the Allgemeine Deutsche Kunstgenossenschaft (All German Art Society) and an honorary member of the Leipziger Künstlerverein (Leipzig Art Association). He was also a member of the Leipzig artists' association Leoniden, founded by Edwin Bormann, Georg Bötticher, and Arthur von Oettingen, for which he produced numerous graphic works.
Shortly after a large portion of his printing plates were destroyed by the air raids on Leipzig on December 4, 1943, the artist died of a serious internal illness. His ashes were buried in private.