Victor Ambrus (1935–2021)

Author of The Anatomy of Costume

49+ Works 499 Members 6 Reviews

About the Author

Includes the names: Victor Ambrus, Victor G. Ambrus

Image credit: Victor Ambrus

Works by Victor Ambrus

Popular Recent

The Anatomy of Costume (1977) 82 copies

How to Draw the Human Figure (1989) 45 copies

Drawing Animals (1990) 43 copies, 1 review

Eyewitness Classics: The Three Musketeers (2000) 32 copies

The Three Poor Tailors (1965) 26 copies, 1 review

Recreating the Past (2001) 24 copies

Drawing on Archaeology: Bringing History Back to Life (2006) 23 copies

Mishka (1975) 18 copies

Peter and the Wolf (1986) 16 copies

Grandma, Felix, and Mustapha Biscuit (1982) 13 copies, 1 review

The Brave Soldier Janosh (1967) 13 copies, 1 review

Blackbeard the Pirate (1982) 13 copies, 1 review

The Seven Skinny Goats (1969) 12 copies

Dracula: Everything You Always Wanted to Know, But Were Too Afraid to Ask (1980) 12 copies

Count, Dracula! (1991) 10 copies

What Time Is It, Dracula (1991) 9 copies

The sultan's bath (1971) 9 copies, 1 review

Horses in Battle (1975) 8 copies

Never Laugh at Bears: A Transylvanian Folktale (Folktales of the World) (1992) 8 copies

A Country Wedding (1973) 7 copies

Battlefield Panoramas: From the Siege of Troy to D-Day (2012) 7 copies

Drawing Somerset's Past: An Illustrated Journey through History by Time Team Artist Victor Ambrus and Steve Minnitt (2018) 7 copies

Dracula's Bedtime Storybook (1987) 6 copies

Under the Double Eagle: Three Centuries of History in Austria and Hungary (1980) 5 copies

Son of Dracula (1986) 5 copies

Spot Dracula (1993) 5 copies

Der goldene Märchenschatz. Eine Auslese schöner alter Märchen (1992) 4 copies

The Valiant Little Tailor (1980) 4 copies

The little cockerel (1968) 3 copies

Dracula's Late Night TV Show (1990) 3 copies

The sultan's bath (1972) 3 copies

Santa Claus Takes Off (1990) 2 copies

Associated Works

Don Quixote (1605) — Illustrator, some editions — 35,677 copies, 531 reviews

The Canterbury Tales (1380) — Illustrator, some editions — 24,972 copies, 185 reviews

Kidnapped (1886) — Illustrator, some editions — 12,579 copies, 131 reviews

Just So Stories (1902) — Illustrator, some editions — 11,076 copies, 85 reviews

The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes (1554) — Illustrator, some editions — 3,027 copies, 79 reviews

A Tolkien Bestiary (1979) — Illustrator — 2,569 copies, 10 reviews

James Herriot's Dog Stories (1986) — Illustrator, some editions — 1,926 copies, 19 reviews

The Best of James Herriot: The Favorite Stories of One of the Most Beloved Writers of Our Time (1982) — Illustrator — 1,442 copies, 12 reviews

Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales Retold (1984) — Illustrator, some editions — 833 copies, 4 reviews

The Farthest-Away Mountain (1976) — Illustrator, some editions — 617 copies, 17 reviews

A Guide to Tolkien (1996) — Illustrator, some editions — 509 copies, 3 reviews

Flambards (1968) — Illustrator, some editions — 493 copies, 15 reviews

Black Beauty (Eyewitness Classics) (1997) — Illustrator — 352 copies, 2 reviews

The Celts: Search for a Civilization (2015) — Illustrator, some editions — 254 copies, 8 reviews

The Hound of Ulster (1963) — Illustrator, some editions — 195 copies, 3 reviews

Tales of King Arthur (1982) — Illustrator, some editions — 180 copies, 2 reviews

Favorite Tales from Shakespeare (1976) — Illustrator, some editions — 157 copies

Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France (1959) — Illustrator, some editions — 154 copies, 1 review

Viking's Dawn (1955) — Illustrator, some editions; Cover designer, some editions — 134 copies, 2 reviews

Slave of the Huns (1901) — Illustrator, some editions — 128 copies, 3 reviews

Stranger in the Storm (Republished as: Left by themselves) (1972) — Illustrator, some editions — 106 copies, 2 reviews

El Cid (1989) — Illustrator, some editions — 104 copies, 5 reviews

Horse Stories : A Thoroughbred Collection (1994) — Illustrator, some editions — 104 copies

Flambards Trilogy (1978) — Illustrator, some editions — 97 copies

The Kingdom and the Cave (1960) — Illustrator, some editions — 90 copies, 5 reviews

Time of Trial (1963) — Illustrator, some editions — 80 copies

In Spite of All Terror (1970) — Illustrator, some editions; Illustrator, some editions — 75 copies

Great Escape Stories (1958) — Contributor — 74 copies

The Road to Miklagard (1957) — Cover artist, some editions — 73 copies

Eric the Red: True Lives (True Lives Series) (1997) — Illustrator, some editions — 72 copies, 3 reviews

Folk Dress of Europe (1979) — Illustrator — 71 copies, 1 review

Castors Away! (1962) — Illustrator, some editions — 71 copies

The Spuddy (1974) — Illustrator, some editions — 65 copies, 2 reviews

The Story of Britain (1969) — Illustrator, some editions — 61 copies

Heather, Oak, and Olive; Three Stories (1972) — Illustrator, some editions — 56 copies, 1 review

Prisoners In the Snow (1967) — Illustrator — 56 copies

An Illustrated Treasury of Myths and Legends (1987) — Illustrator — 52 copies, 1 review

Thomas (1969) — Illustrator, some editions — 51 copies

Knights of God: Tales and Legends of the Irish Saints (1967) — Illustrator, some editions — 46 copies, 1 review

When Jays Fly to Barbmo (1967) — Illustrator, some editions — 44 copies, 2 reviews

Celebrate Cricket: 30 Years of Stories and Art (2003) — Contributor — 44 copies

Tank Commander (1976) — Illustrator — 43 copies, 1 review

The Greyhound (1964) — Illustrator, some editions — 43 copies, 2 reviews

Ladybird Classics: Robin Hood (1995) — Illustrator, some editions — 42 copies, 1 review

Stories for Tens and Over (1976) — Illustrator, some editions — 42 copies

A Circlet of Oak Leaves (1965) — Illustrator, some editions — 40 copies

Tales from the Arabian Nights (1981) — Illustrator, some editions — 39 copies

Digging the Dirt with "Time Team" (2001) — Illustrator — 35 copies, 1 review

The Young Pretenders (1966) — Illustrator, some editions — 35 copies, 1 review

The Galleon (1971) — Illustrator — 32 copies, 3 reviews

The Chief's Daughter (1967) — Illustrator, some editions — 30 copies

The Henchmans at Home (1970) — Illustrator — 30 copies, 1 review

The Hamish Hamilton Book of Kings (1964) — Illustrator, some editions — 30 copies

A Book of Magicians (Puffin Books) (1973) — Illustrator, some editions — 29 copies

Ensign Carey (1963) — Illustrator — 28 copies, 2 reviews

North of Nowhere: Stories and Legends From Many Lands (1964) — Illustrator — 28 copies

Thunder in the Sky (1966) — Illustrator, some editions — 28 copies

To Ravensrigg (1976) — Cover designer, some editions — 28 copies, 1 review

The Three Brothers of Ur (1964) — Illustrator — 27 copies, 1 review

The Right-hand Man (1977) — Illustrator, some editions — 26 copies

Kate Ryder (1974) — Illustrator, some editions — 25 copies, 1 review

Encyclopedia Of Legendary Creatures (1981) — Illustrator — 24 copies, 1 review

Stallion of the Sands (1968) — Illustrator, some editions — 22 copies

Jonnikin and the Flying Basket (1969) — Illustrator, some editions — 21 copies

The Wild Heart (1963) — Illustrator, some editions — 21 copies, 1 review

The Rabbi's Wisdom: A Jewish Folk Tale from Eastern Europe (1991) — Illustrator — 21 copies

The Changeling (1974) — Illustrator, some editions — 20 copies, 1 review

Young Mark (1967) — Illustrator — 20 copies, 1 review

The Red King and the Witch: Gypsy Folk and Fairy Tales (1964) — Illustrator, some editions — 19 copies

Mathinna's People (1967) — Illustrator, some editions — 17 copies

A Cavalcade of Queens (1965) — Illustrator, some editions — 17 copies

Book of Other Worlds (1976) — Illustrator, some editions — 16 copies

World of Folk Tales (1981) — Illustrator, some editions — 15 copies

Blackface Stallion (1980) — Illustrator, some editions — 14 copies, 1 review

The Three Sorrowful Tales of Erin (1965) — Illustrator — 14 copies

A Sapphire for September (1967) — Illustrator — 13 copies

West of Widdershins: A Gallimaufry of Stories Brewed in Her Own Cauldron (1971) — Illustrator — 13 copies

Pauline (1965) — Illustrator — 13 copies

Fairy & Folk Tales from around the World (1989) — Illustrator, some editions — 13 copies

High and haunted island (1964) — some editions — 12 copies, 1 review

The Glass Man and The Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales (1968) — Illustrator, some editions — 12 copies

Folk Tales From the North (1968) — Illustrator, some editions — 11 copies

Benjamin Zephaniah: My Story (2011) — Photographer — 11 copies

A Christmas Carol [popup - Methuen Children's Books] (1986) — Illustrator, some editions — 10 copies

The Children of the Cave (1969) — Illustrator, some editions — 10 copies

Folk Tales from the West (1971) — Illustrator — 7 copies

Arripay (1964) — Illustrator — 6 copies

Saga of Sassoun (1970) — Illustrator — 4 copies

Info Trail: How to Dress a Knight [Instruction] (2001) — Illustrator — 4 copies

Twice Seven Tales (1968) — Illustrator, some editions — 4 copies

Private beach (1964) — Illustrator, some editions — 4 copies

Info Trail: How to Dress a Queen [Instruction] (2001) — Illustrator — 3 copies

Pablo (1977) — Illustrator, some editions — 3 copies

The Little House (1991) — Illustrator — 3 copies

Cricket Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 6, February 1981 (1981) — Contributor — 3 copies

Cricket Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 7, March 1976 (1976) — Contributor — 3 copies

Cricket Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 2, October 1978 (1978) — Illustrator — 2 copies

The Legend of the Fourth Wise Man (1984) — Illustrator, some editions — 1 copy

Cricket Magazine, Vol. 5, No. 12, August 1978 (1978) — Contributor — 1 copy

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Main Associated

archaeology (10) art (17) child (3) children (4) children's (12) children's book (5) children's books (4) children's literature (10) clothing (4) costume (12) drawing (8) fairy tales (6) fashion (6) fiction (13) folktales (4) history (16) horses (5) humor (4) Hungary (3) illustrated (4) juvenile (11) non-fiction (13) novel (9) own (4) picture book (19) public library (4) size:large (4) size:xlarge (4) to-read (6) vampires (11)

Common Knowledge

Legal name: Ambrus, László Győző (birth name)
Other names: Ambrus, Victor G.
Ambrus, László Győző (birth name)
Birthdate: 1935-08-19
Date of death: 2021-02-10
Gender: male
Education: St. Imre Cistercian College, Budapest, Hungary (1945-1953)
Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts (1953-56)
Farnham Art School
Royal College of Art (1957-60)
Occupations: illustrator
children's author
Organizations: Pastel Society UK
Awards and honors: Royal Society of Arts (Fellow)
Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers (Fellow)
Gulbenkian Scholarship
Relationships: Chapman, Glenys (wife)
Short biography: Victor Ambrus (born László Győző Ambrus, 19 August 1935) was a British illustrator of history, folk tale, and animal story books. He also became known from his appearances on the Channel 4 television archaeology series Time Team, on which he visualised how sites under excavation may have once looked. Ambrus was an Associate of the Royal College of Art and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers. He was also a patron of the Association of Archaeological Illustrators and Surveyors up until its merger with the Institute for Archaeologists in 2011.
Nationality: Hungary (birth)
UK (naturalized)
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Places of residence: England, UK
Associated Place (for map): Budapest, Hungary

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Victor Ambrus, in all his incarnations in Picture books (December 2016)

Reviews

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6 reviews

jeane 880 reviews

Drawing Animals by Victor Ambrus

Ambrus is one of my favorite illustrators. I really admire his linear style especially the tiny hatching done to show the direction of hair or form. This book of his is just one to drool over (or practice by copying the drawings), it's not a step-by-step instruction book. Instead it's a showcase of Ambrus' drawings of animals. Most of them done on location at zoos or wildlife parks, some are of pets, horses from a friend's stable or cattle in the fields. Little notes on the pages describe a show more bit about his working conditions, his preferred drawing media (graphite and charcoal- he's not afraid to smudge!), and something about the techniques he uses to capture likeness of living animals that are moving around. Basically his advice is: start with large basic shapes, work in the details later. There are also brief paragraphs telling some facts about the wild animals, which I read with interest. He enjoys sketching at the zoo... It's a book I return to again and again to admire someone else's skill and hope to emulate.

from the Dogear Diary show less

Jan 10, 2018

RuthFinnigan 45 reviews

Sultan's Bath, The by Victor G. Ambrus

Cool old book for to have in a personal library. I can't imagine this in a school library, but I would read it to my children in the future. Cool story with beautifully bright illustrations!

Jun 8, 2015

raizel 1,737 reviews

Brave soldier Janosh by Victor G. Ambrus

Janosh, the only man in his village to have traveled from it, recounts to everyone in a tavern how he bested Napoleon's soldiers and became friends with Napoleon. Everyone believes him, except for one young man who sneezes; the author explains that in Hungary, sneezing means you don't believe. After Janosh tells his tale, he leaves the tavern.

Jun 14, 2013 (Edited)

esproull 103 reviews

Grandma, Felix and Mustapha Biscuit by Victor G. Ambrus

Felix the cat tries to eat Mustapha Bistuit, the hampster, every time Grandma leaves to go shopping. The hampster is voctorious each time, leaving Felix bald and scarred. Grandmea knits multicolored clothing for Felix who ends up being the laughing stock of all alley cats.

May 1, 2012

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