45 - Bonhomme

Bonhomme MATTHIEU BONHOMME CHARLOTTE IMPÉRATRICE Sixty Years of Solitude (Vol. 4), Dargaud 2025 Original cover. Signed. Indian ink, watercolor, and gouache on paper 45.5 × 53 cm (17.91 × 20.87 in.) How can one not bow in awe before such a sumptuous illustration? The slightly low-angle framing magnifies Charlotte, whom the play of shadows and her back-to-the-viewer posture prevent us from seeing clearly. Her dress seems out of proportion in a setting that dwarfs her. She stands on a symbolic chessboard whose squares stretch out to the sides, while above her, the immense portrait of Maximilien draws our gaze upward. This interplay of opposing forces and distorted perspectives beautifully illustrates the conflicting emotions our heroine is experiencing and foreshadows the headwinds she will have to face. This dark and bloody future is also underscored by the various shades of red, which, too, resonate as a disturbing omen. “Maximilian stands there, domineering, while she, prostrate with her back to him, gazes at him in awe. Despite his downfall and everything he has put her through, she continues to adore her husband, as if she were rewriting history—retaining only his prestige and his grandiose image.” M.B.