Hergé (pseudonym), Georges Remi. 1907-1983. Tintin in America
India ink, graphite and gouache for the cover of the 1942 edition of the comic book Tintin in America. 46 x 32,8 cm.
Drawing used again for the cover of the 1946 color edition. Auctioned in Paris together with its certificate from the committee of authentication by Hergé for Arcturial Belgium.
Last February 10, the auction house Artcurial auctioned Hergé's original drawing for the cover of the 1942 album Tintin in America, the same one that has been used for 80 years to illustrate the cover of this work, one of the best-selling of the series.
The initial estimate for the sale was between 2.2 and 3.2 million euros, although in the end the price fell short of expectations and was sold for 2.1 million euros.
The original has been sold for 2,158,000 euros with taxes and fees and according to the auction house, its new owner is a private international buyer.
The auction price, although a more than generous figure for a black and white Hergé original, is nowhere near the record achieved in January 2021 for the original cover of The Blue Lotus, which sold for more than 3.1 million euros ($3.8 million).
In Tintin in America, the third volume of the Tintin series, the young Belgian reporter travels to the United States and spends time in Chicago and the Midwest. It is considered one of the best sellers of the collection. It was first published in 1932 with a small illustration on the cover showing Tintin sitting on a rock with Snowy lying next to him. On the occasion of the third edition, in 1937, the small cover illustration was replaced by one showing Tintin riding a horse. The drawing was printed on paper and pasted directly on the album cover.
By the early 1940s, printing techniques had evolved and allowed the comic book to be printed with a full-page color cover as we know it today.
The adventures of Tintin have been translated into more than 100 languages, which testifies to their universal character and the timeless aesthetics of the artist's style. Hergé's talent lies in the simplicity of the line and the forms: a simple, legible and understandable line for everyone. This famous aesthetic, known as "ligne claire" (clear line) has never gone out of fashion.
