The World of Hergé, Tintin's Creator was the title of the sale that the Paris auction house Artcurial held on February 10, 2023 for the best-known works by the Belgian comic artist and author Hergé ( 1907-1983). More than 100 lots came up for auction on the occasion, including some original drawings for various Tintin volumes.
The drawing for the cover of Tintin in America from 1942 was estimated at 2.2 - 3.2 million euros. Although the lower estimate was not reached, the sum achieved after a bidding war over the phone means a new auction record for an original black and white drawing by Hergé. An international collector bought the coveted work for 2,158,400 euros (including fees).
"General de Gaulle once declared 'My only international rival is Tintin,'" said Eric Leroy, comics expert at Artcurial, in the auction house's press release. "This auction on Hergé's World with a new record for an original drawing in black and white confirms it."
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The Belgian comic artist Hergé, which was the pen name of Georges Prosper Remi, created several comic series, of which the adventures of reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Struppi are the best known and most extensive. Hergé worked on Tintin from 1929 until his death in 1983, and a total of 25 volumes were published. Tintin in America first appeared in 1931/32 as a serial in the children's supplement of the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle. In 1932 it was summarized in a black and white volume. A colored edition followed in 1946, from which comes this record drawing auctioned at Artcurial.
Related: A Tintin Drawing Sets a Record for Comics
Artcurial set a record back in 2021 for Tintin, when the colored template for the cover of Le Lotus Bleu ("The Blue Lotus") from 1936, rejected by the publisher, found a new owner for 3.2 million euros. This meant not only a new record for Hergé, but also for an original comic book drawing.
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