ROCHETTE

JEAN-MARC ROCHETTE LA DERNIÈRE REINE, Casterman 2022 Original cover design produced in 2022. Signed. India ink and graphite on paper 29.5 × 41.9 cm (11.61 × 16.5 in.) A cover design for La Dernière Reine, this drawing depicts the bear in front of one of the best-known peaks in the Vercors, Mont Aiguille. Jean-Marc Rochette already had the general idea and graphic elements in mind, but this first version didn't satisfy him, as it placed too much emphasis on the mountain to the detriment of the bear. An order of value that he will reverse in the final cover. As I feared that this image of the bear was too reminiscent of wildlife photography or children's books, I deliberately accentuated its abstract side. Here, the bear is treated in a graphic, unrealistic way, fading in and out, almost like a Chinese shadow. J.-M.R.