Auction – Great masters of comics under the hammer

Auction – Great masters of comics under the hammer
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Auction – Great masters of comics under the hammer

From Hergé to Franquin via Moebius, an auction offers 136 works of choice on Monday in Paris. With an emphasis on Matthieu Bonhomme and André Juillard.Auction – Grand Masters of Comics Under the HammerAuction – Grand Masters of Comics Under the Hammer

Philippe Muri

The list of works presented is dizzying. Their estimates too, often. But we must admit that these pieces are worth the detour. Monday in Paris, at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine, 136 comic strips and illustrations went under the hammer, during a sale organized by Daniel Maghen Enchères et Expertises.

Very good, even exceptional, like this original cover of the newspaper "Le Petit Vingtième" produced by Hergé in December 1939, just before being called up to the Belgian army as a reserve officer. An image in the form of wishful thinking, with a dove of peace cheered by Quick and Flupke, Agent 15 and various soldiers engaged in a global conflict that has only just begun. Estimate? Between 120,000 and 150,000 euros.

Hergé again, later, in 1956. The author of Tintin sketches a preparatory illustration for a calendar, which features the protagonists of the series, from Haddock to Dupondt via Tournesol or Castafiore.

Auction – Grand Masters of Comics Under the Hammer

A frenzied round estimated between 70,000 and 80,000 euros presented Monday by the auctioneer Astrid Guillon, as well as plates or drawings of choice signed in particular Franquin, Pratt, Gotlib, Vance, Giraud-Moebius, Rosinski, Sempé, Hermann or Manara.

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This sale features two contemporary authors, André Juillard and Matthieu Bonhomme, on whom the gallery owner Daniel Maghen puts a particular spotlight. Both are entitled to their own catalog. Monograph-style little gems, revealing in detail the pieces presented, with an interview with the author, original photos, analyzes and comments.

Juillard explains in particular how he builds a board. "For me, the concern for clarity is almost obsessive," he says. Long cataloged as the "pope of historical comics", he tells how and why he became a screenwriter in these two superb albums, "The blue notebook" and "After the rain".

During Monday's sale, Juillard presents 31 works, including superb plates and cover project for "The Blue Book". As well as a large selection of drawings from the "7 lives of the Sparrowhawk", "Plume aux vents" and "Blake et Mortimer". Does he feel heartbroken at the idea of ​​parting with his originals? “Such has been the case. For a while, I jealously isolated what I intended to sell from what I wanted to keep. Then I decided to break away. The rewarding nature of a sale is obvious.”

In the catalog dedicated to him, Matthieu Bonhomme also expresses himself on the market for originals. “Presenting and agreeing to part with some of his works is a learning path. At first, I kept everything in my sketchbooks.

I was too attached to it. And then I evolved. […] Each gallery sale gave rise to an exhibition which is like a landmark in my work.” During Monday's sale in Paris, Bonhomme is presenting originals from "Wanted Lucky Luke", published this year, including the album's color cover estimated between 15,000 and 20,000 euros. Also to be acquired are flyleaves made in homage to Morris, and a selection of originals from the “Empress Charlotte” and “Le Marquis d’Anaon” series.

Auction: Monday, November 15, 2021 at 6 p.m. House of Latin America. 217 boulevard Saint-Germain 75007 Paris.Download the catalogs of the sale

Philippe Muri is a journalist, co-responsible for the cultural section. It covers in particular comic strips and cultural outings. He also worked as a sports journalist or editor for the daily newspapers "Le Matin" and "Le Temps", as well as for the weekly "L'Illustré".

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Topics

Auctions
Comic strip
Paris
Tintin
Hergé