Animals from History: Illustrations by Christina Hess

Philadelphia-based artist Christina Hess created this quirky series of animals imagined as historical figures.

“I didn’t want to be that illustrator that painted animals in clothes. But after I completed Queen Elhissabeth for a family friend I realized that I could have fun with this idea. A lot of fun. Using numerous pets and celebrity animals from charities like Big Cat Rescue for inspiration I started recreating historical icons as animals. Some paintings are created traditionally in oils like William Shakesbeard and others are digital like Queen Elhissabeth. It just depended on how I wanted to work at the time. I launched the idea on Kickstarter and it was funded by 123 backers!

Now I am continuing the series and planning on adding many more characters on the wild side. Mary Shelly, Bessie Coleman, Bass Reeves, Billy the Kid and Nikola Tesla are only a few of the new personalities on the roster. I’ve got foxes, pit bulls, skunks and rabbits in my mind for the future. I sell prints and mini booklets in my Etsy shop as well as on my website. My original paintings can be found at Ian Russell Gallery of Fine Art in Prescott Arizona.”

— Christina Hess

More illustrations via Toy Picnic