ALBERT UDERZO (1927 - 2020) Lot n° 23

Original illustration Asterix and France Pencil and felt-pen drawing on paper, signed lower right Pencil and felt-pen drawing signed lower right 58 x 46 cm 22 53/64 x 18 7/64 in. PROVENANCE Given by the artist to the first owner, then by descent Expert for this lot: Madame Pauline Testut Beyond a magnificent portrait of Asterix, whose face, like smoke, seems to emerge from the characteristic finned chimney, this large drawing is also a moving testimony to the bond between Albert Uderzo and his friend and scriptwriter René Goscinny. René Goscinny, who died tragically in 1977, 18 years after the creation of the adventures of the little Gaul. Goscinny, a great lover of travel, tall ships and cruises, had shared his passion with Uderzo, notably on the France*. This work, created around the end of the '70s/beginning of the '80s, probably echoes a contemporary event in the history of this liner: in 1979, the France, which hadn't sailed for four years, was bought out, renamed "Norway" and taken out of its home port of Le Havre, provoking upheaval and a general strike. As well as a magnificent portrait of Asterix, whose face, like smoke, seems to emerge from the characteristic finned chimney, this large drawing is also a moving testimony to the bond between Albert Uderzo and his friend and scriptwriter René Goscinny, who tragically passed away in 1977, 18 years after the creation of the adventures of the little Gaul. Goscinny, a great lover of travel, tall ships and cruises, had shared his passion with Uderzo, notably on the France*. This work, created around the end of the '70s/beginning of the '80s, probably echoes a contemporary event in the history of this ship: in 1979, the France, which hadn't sailed for four years, was bought out, renamed "Norway" and taken out of its home port of Le Havre, provoking upheaval and a general strike. *Source: René Goscinny, Tous les visiteurs à terre, IMAV éditions, 2010