Antonio Frasconi

Born in Argentina and raised in Uruguay, Antonio Frasconi (1919–2013) moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. He was soon recognized as one of the most innovative illustrators of his time, known for intricate woodcuts and his powerful social commentary, especially about the rise of fascism in Europe. Many of Frasconi’s books are multilingual, such as See and Say: A Picture Book in Four Languages (1955) and the Caldecott Honor book The House That Jack Built/La Maison que Jacques a Batie (1958). Fransconi said that, through his work, he wanted his two sons to learn “that there are different ways to say the same thing, that there is more than one nation in our world.”

The birth of Frasconi’s first son Pablo in 1952 marked a turning point in his career. He shifted his focus to children’s books, to “think in terms of using my work as part of [my son’s] education.” A Book of Animals and Insects, among others, demonstrates Frasconi’s original approach. Deceptively small with accordion folded pages, the book is a unique work of art that explores the building blocks of letters, language, and life. Frasconi loved working with wood, some of which he scavenged from the beach near his home in Norwalk, Connecticut. After printing, he often recycled his woodblocks, casting them in stone and stacking them throughout his studio.

SOURCE - https://carlemuseum.org/explore-art/collections/featured-artists/antonio-frasconi (Sept 2025)