Organized by the Professional Association of Illustrators of Euskadi, Euskal Irudigileak, the Day of Illustration, the celebration of Basque illustration, is held for the second consecutive year on November 12. This year, the event pays tribute to the memory of the Hélène and Blanche Feillet sisters, pioneers of illustration who traveled through Euskal Herria in the 19th century creating their first tourist guides.
They settled in Baiona in 1834, and from there undertook numerous journeys that they drew, resulting in the aforementioned guides. Therefore, the central theme of the activities taking place from November 12 to 21 will be: The Journey. At a time when the presence of female authors was not so normalized, the achievements of these sisters stand out: Hélène was commissioned to illustrate José de Espronceda's poem, 'La canción del pirata', and Blanche replaced her father as a professor at the School of Drawing and Painting in Baiona.
Contemporary authors such as Maite Rosende (Euskadi Illustration Prize, 2025), creator of the event's poster, along with Amaia Hennebutte (great-granddaughter of the sisters), Sara Morante (Euskadi Illustration Prize, 2012), Maite Gurrutxaga (Euskadi Prize, 2015), and Iñaki Landa (regular contributor to Argia) offer their vision on the sisters' lives and careers. Amaia Hannebutte and Sara Morante will present a reproduction of their work to the Musée Basque et de l’histoire in Bayonne.
At the events organized by Euskal Irudigileak, an illustrated biography of Hélène and Blanche will be distributed, integrating the contributions of modern authors with the drawings of the sisters themselves. Furthermore, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and guided tours have been organized to honor the figure of the Feillet sisters and make visible the history of women in the artistic sector.
Additionally, an Illustration Map has been created, showing places where this artistic practice is present: bookstores, libraries, artist spaces… The map displays activities related to illustration taking place between November 12 and 21.
In Vitoria-Gasteiz, on the 16th at 7:00 PM, the talk 'El viaje ilustrado' will be held at the Casa de Cultura Ignacio Aldecoa with Raisa Álava and Saioa Aginako. Moderated by Kike Infame, the conversation will focus on how images and female authors move around the world today to develop their work. The library will also showcase its collection of illustrated books and comics dedicated to travel.
The Mediateca of the Montehermoso Kulturunea Cultural Center and the comic-specialized library of the Salburua civic center will exhibit their collections. Meanwhile, the galleries of the Bendaña Palace will host until November 29 the exhibition 'Imágenes del juego en la literatura', organized by the Fournier Playing Card Museum of Álava and the Vitoria-Gasteiz School of Arts and Crafts, with the collaboration of Euskal Irudigileak.
The Day of Illustration is made possible thanks to the contributions of the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Bilbao City Council, Donostia Kultura, and the Pamplona City Council, with the support of the Basque Government and Euskal Irudigileak. It also counts on the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Álava, the Zumalakarregi Museum, and the Musée Basque et de l’histoire de Bayonne.
