Léon Benett

Who was Léon Benett?

Léon Benett was a French painter and illustrator. He was born in Orange, Vaucluse. He changed his name to "Benett" to differentiate his career in the French administration from his work as a draftsman.

Benett is the most important illustrator of books written by Jules Verne; during 1873 - 1910 he illustrated twenty-five novels from the Voyages Extraordinaires series. He also illustrated other books by Verne.

He also illustrated works of Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Mayne Reid, André Laurie, Camille Flammarion, and others. Benett's illustrations often depict exotic countries, arising from his real experiences as a government employee in which he visited Algeria, Cochinchina, Martinique, and New Caledonia.

He died in Toulon.