ROCHETTE

JEAN-MARC ROCHETTE LA DERNIÈRE REINE, Casterman 2022 Original plate no. 13 accompanied by preparatory stage in India ink and wash. Signed. India ink and graphite on paper 29.6 × 41.9 cm (11.65 × 16.5 in.) Preparatory stage: 29.5 × 40.5 cm Fishing with the bears. The mother teaches her cubs how to catch salmon in the river. The picture alternates between wide and narrow shots, emphasizing the close ties between the members of the clan. A silent plate, where Rochette uses his science of contrasts. This is the beginning of the story, and I've put the emphasis on the cubs. They have food, they play, their mother protects them: the scene is bucolic, everything's fine. The arrival of the wolves on the next panel marks the end of their innocence. J.-M.R.