142 - Gibrat

Gibrat JEAN-PIERRE GIBRAT The Flight of the Raven (Vol. 1), Dupuis 2002 Original artwork no. 14. Signed. Acrylic inks and watercolor on paper 30 × 39.8 cm (11.81 × 15.67 in.) This page is taken from the opening sequence of *Le Vol du Corbeau*, in which Jeanne, a member of the Resistance betrayed by an anonymous letter, meets François, a burglar arrested—like her—by the French police. It is June 18, 1944; the Allies have landed in Normandy and are approaching Paris. Taking advantage of an air raid alert, Jeanne and François manage to escape from their cell and flee across the rooftops. Here are our two heroes, their fates now intertwined, gazing out over Paris and waiting for the rain to stop as night falls. In just three panels, Gibrat manages to convey the dizzying nature of the sequence. The rain will cause the police to abandon their pursuit, allowing our two heroes to take a breather from their escape. With this unspoken question hanging in the air: what now? One can’t help but be captivated by the subtle palette of colors and effects that Gibrat brings to life here: the rosy glow of the setting sun highlights the characteristic blue-gray of the zinc on Parisian rooftops. The rain has stopped, but the shimmering reflections clearly show that the surfaces are still slippery. This pause makes sense: Jeanne and François are about to get to know each other better… In Gibrat’s work, narrative intelligence and pictorial intent have always gone hand in hand. Didier Pasamonik What if I told you that the idea of setting the entire album against the backdrop of the rooftops of Paris had crossed my mind! It was tempting because it’s such a charming setting—especially when you add the beams of light; it becomes quite graphic… But it wasn’t quite a good idea. It was abandoned—not to mention that it was far too dangerous; the insurance wouldn’t have covered it. Jean-Pierre Gibrat