144 - Gibrat

Gibrat JEAN-PIERRE GIBRAT The Flight of the Raven (Vol. 2), Dupuis 2005 Original artwork no. 41. Signed. Acrylic inks and watercolor on paper 35 × 45.5 cm (13.78 × 17.91 in.) This plate is typical of Gibrat’s art around the turn of the 2000s, when he was working on one of his most important works depicting France under the Occupation: *Le Vol du corbeau*. Setting the story within the “closed space” of a barge moving slowly through the countryside around La Roche-sur-Yon, on this page, at twilight, highlights the fragility of the moment: admittedly, the little boat is a haven of peace where time slips away like sand through one’s fingers and where we witness the touching encounter between Jeanne and Cécile; the warm colors, with their muted shimmer of ochre and dark brown, radiate the warmth of a hearth. But at daybreak, danger may loom, and the two young women—whose blouses symbolize their characters—stand ready to face it, valiant and proud. Only nine original panels in the story bring Jeanne and Cécile together. Didier Pasamonik One of the few pages where the two sisters are together—it’s always a pleasure for a dad to bring the family together—and it’s also an opportunity to see that even though they’re physically very close to one another, they’re still a little different. I’ve often been criticized for making Jeanne and Cécile look too much alike, but since they’re sisters, I’ve always gotten a pass. Jean-Pierre Gibrat