This illustration closes my Caderno XXIV (sketchbook #24). It’s a humble rendition to the great master Sempé. I did not have the chance to personally meet him, but he has been close to me through his artwork. I remember one of the first (and few) illustrated children books that I read was Petit Nicolas (it has not been that long… and still, early 80s in Spain it was not easy for me to put my hands on an illustrated book - libraries and bookshops were few in my town, and they focused more on “serious” books. Luckily, there were “best sellers” like Petit Nicolas that were easier to grab)
To me, illustration is storytelling. Sempé not only created beautiful artwork, he had a great sense of humour. You can always find some “gesture” in his illustrations… to the point that, if one looks “normal” or “plain”, you should look carefully for the hidden joke.
I love lots of things about Sempé work. To name a few: color, scale, levels of detail, fluidity…
And some kind of magic. I remember that, during the confinement, I had (as most of us) to stay at home. In a way, I felt in a jail. Luckily (again) I had recently added to my collection “Sempe á New York”. Every time I stared at its wonderful images, it was like travelling to New York, to be outside of jail.
So, thanks for everything, Maitre