MIRALLES Lot n° 27

ANA MIRALLES DJINN The Tattoo (T.3), Dargaud 2003 Original cover. Signed. India ink and gouache on paper 35 × 46.5 cm (13.78 × 19 in.) The cover of volume 3, the Tattoo, marks a turning point in the series. After two previous covers of our heroine enthroned in her domain, with a sumptuous, evocative and exotic decor, this third part shows us a naked Jade, her back has become a canvas. The arabesques and decoration have been replaced by skin. All around her, it is the emptiness, the absence of elements. Her thick hair, her distinguishing feature, occupies almost all the vital space of the scene. With this image, I wanted to freeze a fleeting moment, perhaps a revealed intimacy, the surprise of an unexpected encounter, the invitation to discover the mystery and even the danger of getting too close. Everything is held on this back, charged with energy like a tended bow. The Djinn looks at us out of the corner of her eye, revealing her universe. This is one of my most emblematic images. It defines the series by itself. Its gestation was simple. A few sketches caressing the idea quickly led me to a kind of revelation. The drawing was there, I saw it appear on the paper after a few lines and I knew it was the right idea. These things happen sometimes. Ana Miralles