Christie's Bande Dessinée et Illustration Paris 14 Mars 2015

Organised in partnership with Galerie Daniel Maghen, this auction sale catalogue gathers together the greatest characters in the history of the ‘ninth art’, offering 446 lots with estimates ranging from €1,000 to €200,000. Celebrated duo of the genre Asterix and Obelix feature on a very rare cover of Pilote magazine, executed by Uderzo in gouache on the occasion of the publication of Astérix et le Chaudron.

Two original plates by Edgar P. Jacobs, an author rarely seen at auction, are also offered: the eighth plate of La Marque Jaune – a crucial moment in the story where Blake and Mortimer officially join the investigation – and another from Le Secret de l'Espadon. An unpublished work by William Vance is one of two original illustrations created in 2001 to represent the fragrance Eau Sauvage by Dior which also feature in the sale. The exceptional collection of Mr Barbier closes the auction: it comprises 42 plates and illustrations from the 1980s and early 1990s by Enki Bilal, Milo Manara, François Schuiten and André Franquin.