An original page of Tintin drawings sold at auction Saturday in Paris for $3,1 million. This artwork signed by Hergé set a new world record for comic art, beating previous $1.6 million paid in 2012 for another Tintin piece. The piece, dating from 1937 is a double page ink drawing created by the Belgian artist for the inside cover of the Tintin adventures published between 1937 and 1958, featuring images drawn from the various albums. Tintin appears with his dog Snowy in different situations, as a cowboy, an explorer, a knight in shining armour, on a horse or in the desert.
Hergé’s artwork went to an American collector after 15 minutes of furious bidding at the Artcurial auction in Paris.
Experts said the sum, $3.7 million including fees, or $3.1 million without, reflects the new enthusiasm for cartoon items, which have seen prices soar in a decade.
“I thought only these inside cover pages could beat the record set by Tintin in America in 2012. This has happened today with this exceptional drawing,” said the auction house’s cartoon expert Eric Leroy.
“This new world record confirms the place of cartoon art as a major art form.”
