FRANQUIN

ANDRÉ FRANQUIN ◊ SPIROU AND FANTASIO Dupuis Set of two original illustrations signed and produced in the late 1950s. The portrait of Spirou was published in Bonnes Soirées n° 1824, January 27, 1957. India ink on paper Portrait of Spirou: 3.3 × 6.5 cm (1.3 × 2.56 in.) Portrait of Fantasio: 5 × 6.5 cm (1.96 × 2.56 in.) Every Franquin drawing is a feast for the eyes. God knows how many "culs de lampe" he produced - that's the typographic term for an illustration that sets off the white space on a page. Each time, the pleasure of the drawing is there, because his commitment is total. With Franquin, there's no easy way to draw, and he never copies himself: every drawing is different. Look at this expression: it's unprecedented because it's observed. The pleasure of drawing comes first. This "crobard" is from 1957, the year he created Gaston Lagaffe.