Victor Ambrus - Career in Art

Career in Art

Ambrus had had one book published in 1955 before he left Hungary; but in Britain his career as a book illustrator began during his final year at the Royal College, when he was commissioned by the publishers, Blackie, to illustrate A. C. Jenkins's White Horses And Black Bulls. While at college he took some samples of his work to Mabel George of the Oxford University Press. In his last year of the course, he was commissioned to illustrate a book that was reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement.

His first real job on leaving college was to work for an advertising agency. As his freelance work increased after two years he went back to Farnham and started teaching at the Art School while doing illustration part-time. He lectured from 1963 to 1985 at Farnham, Guildford and Epsom Colleges of Art. He has had a long career working for the Oxford University Press. Like many illustrators, Victor started by doing line illustrations for novels. The children’s editor at OUP, Mabel George, gave him first Hester Burton's and then K M Peyton's novels to illustrate. Both used his talent for drawing horses and with both he built up a happy working relationship.

He has contributed to almost 300 books. Among his credits are illustrating several fairy tale compilations by Ruth Manning-Sanders, including The Glass Man and the Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales and Jonnikin and the Flying Basket: French Folk and Fairy Tales.

Ambrus currently works as the artist on the television series about archaeology, Time Team. The director and producer of the series, finding 'The Story of Britain' in Reader’s Digest, had decided that Ambrus could illustrate all the subjects they were likely to present, and invited him to take part in a pilot episode of what became Time Team on Channel 4.

Ambrus has also designed six sets of historical stamps for the Jersey Post Office and one for the Royal Mail. He was one of seven leading British illustrators whose work was shown in the exhibition, 'The World of English Picture Books', which toured Japan in 1998.

Education:

• St. Imre Cistercian College, Budapest 1945-53
• Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest 1953-1956
• Royal College of Art / Royal Scholar 1957/ 1957 - 1960 - (A.R.C.A. 1960)

Elected:

• Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers. - (R.E. 1973).
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 1977 - (F.R.S.A).
• Elected Member of The Pastel Society - (P.S. 1993).
• Vice President of The Pastel Society 1995 - 1998 (PPVPS).
• 2004-2007 Elected the Vice President of the Pastel Society
• Hon Fellow, Society of Graphic Fine Art 2010 - (Hon S.G.F.A.).
• He is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Engravers and the Royal Society of Arts and is an Associate of the Royal College of Art, where he got his degree.