Below its estimate, it still remains a “world record”. A plate by Belgian author André Franquin (Spirou), entitled The pirogue, flew to auction at 337,600 euros on Saturday in Paris, announced the Artcurial house in a press release.
Estimated between 350,000 and 450,000 euros, this drawing (37.5 cm x 28.5 cm) in Indian ink was made for the cover of the 49th album of the Spirou’s Journal, published in April 1954. We can see the Marsupilami, this enigmatic and mischievous animal from the imagination of Franquin, hanging on a liana, spying on Spirou and Fantasio who went looking for him on a dugout canoe in the heart of the virgin forest of Palombie .
This board, which has “Broke a new world record at auction for a board of Franquin”, was the highlight of this session dedicated to big names in comics, with more than 300 lots on offer. The sale totaled 1.4 million euros (costs included).
Hergé, Morris and Uderzo
Among these lots, a poetic plate with four hands imagined by Franquin and Gotlib and drawn by Franquin, taken from Tome 1 ofDark thoughts, album of black humor and social satire (1981), changed hands to 117,000 euros, beyond its estimate.
An illustration (22 x 22 cm) signed Hergé du Ottokar scepter, eighth album of Tintin’s adventures, was sold for 306,600 euros. Estimated between 250,000 and 350,000 euros, it shows Tintin on his arrival in Prague, accompanied by his faithful companion Snowy, stumbling out of the plane and barely catching himself with the beard of the mysterious Doctor Halambique, marking the beginning of the tumultuous adventures of the young detective in the kingdom of the Black Pelican. Another drawing from Hergé Studios, The Black Island, created the surprise, the hammer falling to 39,000 euros, 39 times its estimate.
A colorful illustration (37 x 55 cm) of the legendary Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper by the Belgian Morris, doubled its estimate to 10,700 euros, while the famous French cartoon Jean-Jacques Sempé Is there a doctor in the room?, on the dangers of the acting profession (1964), was acquired for 18,200 euros.
The sale also highlighted the cosmic universe of Valérian by Jean-Claude Mézières, including gouache and Indian ink for the cover of The orphan of the stars was sold for 45,500 euros. On the other hand, a gouache by Albert Uderzo, disappeared during confinement, showing Asterix and Obelix, made for the cover of the coloring book Punch, published in 1966, did not find a buyer.
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