Juillard - Lot 60

Juillard ANDRÉ JUILLARD LE CAHIER BLEU Casterman 1994 Original plate no. 8, prepublished in (À Suivre) no. 191, December 1993. Signed. India ink and colored inks on paper 30 × 40 cm (11.81 × 15.75 in.) In the first plates of Cahier bleu, Arnaud Laborie set out with aplomb to conquer Louise. After a moment's annoyance, the Quebecker finally accepted his invitation to dinner. The appointment was made at La Coupole, the famous Parisian brasserie in the heart of Montparnasse. It was an opportunity for André Juillard to furnish his little paper theater. The artist pays particular attention to his two main characters, and to the spatial position of one in relation to the other: "You have to take into account the changes in position of the camera, the set and the light. After entering the front door, Louise, dressed in a short, form-fitting black dress, her lips highlighted in bright red, makes a turning movement, skirting the beginning of the staircase leading to the basement and its amenities, discreetly approaching a table where her suitor is seated. With a slightly stooped figure, a slightly dejected look and a glass of strong alcohol in his hand, Arnaud seems lost in thought. In the background, we observe the ballet of customers, waiters and butlers. There's no doubt that André Juillard has learned Jean-Claude Mézières' main lesson: keep the image legible and avoid overload. A model of staging, this plate gently imposes its narrative fluidity. I also wanted to take up a sort of challenge that Pierre Christin had set me during a discussion. He told me that what was lacking in comics were real love stories. He added: "I'm sure you could do that! A.J.