160 - Berthet

Berthet PHILIPPE BERTHET PIN-UP Las Vegas (Vol. 7), Dargaud 2001 Original cover. Signed. India ink on paper 32.3 × 44.5 cm (12.72 × 17.52 in.) The Atelier R de Saint-Luc produced a wide variety of artists. Their early works can be found in *Le Neuvième Rêve* (1978, with a preface by Franquin). Among them are François Schuiten, Frédéric Bézian, Benoît Sokal, Philippe Foerster, and Philippe Berthet. The latter stands out for his successful fusion of the “ligne claire” style of the Brussels School with the sophisticated aesthetic of the leading figure in 1940s realist drawing: Milton Caniff. These references and their era provide writer Yann with an ideal setting for the *Pin Up* series, which pays homage both to a mythical America—that of John Huston’s and Alfred Hitchcock’s Hollywood—and to the glossy beauties who graced the magazines of the time. An ideal that inspires dreams, yet one we know from the start is unattainable. The female figures thus captivate the viewer through their gaze, smile, and demeanor rather than through nudity. That is why, much like Mucha’s women in the early 20th century, Berthet’s creations remain enduring symbols of their era.