Three illustrations side by side, each with a title and artist name below. The first shows a person reading a book on a red bench under a large, dark cloud labelled “Cooking”. The second shows a person reading in a chair next to a giraffe, labelled “Travel”. The third shows a person reading under an umbrella as water pours from a balcony above, labelled “Gardening”.

Illustration: You just don't get much more joyful than the work of Berlin's Golden Cosmos

Words: Liv Siddall
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Date: 24 January 2014; Work
Illustration

You just don’t get much better than this, right? A Berlin couple who create some of the most joy-infused, well thought-out illustrations you’ve ever seen. Imagine actually living in the world of Golden Cosmos; plants, sunshine, orange juice, good books, new socks, tiled floors…Oh my.

It had been a while since we checked up on this duo, so revisiting their website brought a feeling similar to that of opening a chest full of dusty but grandiose clothes, or seeing your favourite plants in full bloom. From the spectacularly innovative watch feature in the near-perfect new issue of Zeit Magazin, to the book review in the New York Times – these illustrations have been chosen because they are classic, informed, and are made with pure, unadulterated happiness.

An illustration for The New York Times “Book Review” featuring two people reading. A person with red hair sits on a windowsill in the foreground, while another person reads in a window across the street. The text “SUMMER READING” appears in bold red letters at the bottom. — Above
Golden Cosmos: The New York Times

An illustration of a yellow apartment building. On a balcony above, a person waters plants, sending a stream of water falling onto a person reading a book in the window below, who holds a black umbrella for cover. Text at the bottom reads “Gardening” and “by Dominique Browning”. — Above
Golden Cosmos: The New York Times

An illustration of a person sitting in a chair and reading a book in a red room. A giraffe peers through a window behind them, while a potted palm and a bookshelf fill the space. Below the scene, bold text reads “Travel” and “BY JOSHUA HAMMER”. — Above
Golden Cosmos: The New York Times

An illustration of a person sitting on a red park bench, reading a blue book. A massive, dark cloud of smoke replaces their head and drifts across the scene toward three people grilling. Below the image, bold text reads “Cooking” and “by William Grimes”. — Above
Golden Cosmos:

An illustration in red, black and white showing figures in a futuristic, industrial setting. People wearing masks and helmets stand in rows and walk across a gridded floor. — Above
Golden Cosmos: The International New York Times

An illustration of a book cover for the Brothers Grimm story “Der süsse brei”. A giant pot of yellow porridge overflows, swallowing a person, a cat and a child. A large face emerges from the porridge at the bottom, while a hand holds a ladle. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Sweet Porridge

An illustration across two pages shows a person in a black suit checking their wristwatch. A large wall clock hangs behind them against a bright yellow background with a green grid. Text in the bottom left reads “Something exciting is up when people compare their watches... Time to bring back this ritual!” followed by the headline “TIME CHECK!”. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Time Check for International ZEIT magazin

An open magazine spread featuring a collage of luxury watches and bold, colourful shapes. A small illustration in the bottom right shows three people standing together, one of whom holds a newspaper. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Time Check for International ZEIT magazin

An open book showing two colourful illustrations. The left page displays three yellow hands wearing different watches against a red background. The right page shows three figures in a blue grid setting, checking their watches while one leans on a red bicycle. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Time Check for International ZEIT magazin

An illustration across two pages of an open book. Stylised figures in football kits are shown alongside close-ups of three different wristwatches. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Time Check for International ZEIT magazin

An illustration for the “Sunday Review” of The New York Times. A person in a business suit is merged with a lush green hedge, stepping through a jungle that blends into a city skyline. Large text at the bottom reads “Relax! You’ll Be More Productive”. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Relax! You’ll be more productive

An illustration of a person napping on a desk in a bright red office. They are covered by a red and white checked blanket, with a clock and desk lamp nearby. Above them, a headline reads “Relax! You’ll Be More Productive”. — Above
Golden Cosmos: Relax! You’ll be more productive

An illustration of a person in blue pyjamas brushing their teeth in front of a mirror. The reflection shows a bald, older version of the same person. — Above
Golden Cosmos: The Neighbour

Further Info

www.golden-cosmos.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

Illustration: You just don't get much more joyful than the work of Berlin's Golden Cosmos

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