Juillard - Lot 74

Juillard ANDRÉ JUILLARD THE 7 LIVES OF THE SPARROWHAWK Quinze ans après (T.12), Dargaud 2014 Original illustration for the back cover of the first edition. Signed. India ink on paper 26.9 × 17.7 cm (10.59 × 6.97 in.) "Every time I meet Ariane again, I'm jubilant! Throughout his career, André Juillard has multiplied his side jobs, paying particular attention to the bibliophile editions of his works. For the limited edition of Quinze ans après, the first volume of the third era of the 7 Vies de l'Épervier, and the twelfth volume in the series, the artist produced this elegant cabochon, used on the back cover. The character's posture is reminiscent of some of Rembrandt's self-portraits; the sharpness of the line, shaded with fine hatching, and the depth of the inking recall the work of the draughtsman and engraver Jacques Callot, one of the masters of etching. I'm aware that I've always had a fairly precise idea of light, in fact it's quite obsessive, and this concern to evoke light is achieved either through color, or through hatching and black shadows. A.J.