A rare drawing of comic book hero Tintin by Belgian cartoonist Hergé fetched over a million dollars at auction in Hong Kong Monday as experts say comic art is becoming as collectible as paintings.
The artwork is an illustration from the cartoonist's The Blue Lotus book, published in 1936, which sees Tintin and sidekick Snowy the dog on an adventure in Shanghai.
It sold for $1.2 million (Dh 4,400,00) and French auction house Artcurial said it had been bought by an Asian collector.
Drawn in monochrome, it shows Tintin being pulled along a street in a rickshaw with a policeman looking on.
The drawing is the only original from the book to remain in private hands with the rest in museums, Artcurial said.
“’The Blue Lotus’ is considered by specialists as the masterpiece album of Herge,” said Eric Leroy, Artcurial’s expert in comic strips.
“The design and drawing of Herge had become mature... It was also unusual to talk about China in the thirties in Europe.”
The piece had been predicted to sell at between HK$8.6 million and HK$13 million.
The record for a Tintin piece was set by a 1937 comic strip sold at an Artcurial auction in Paris in May for $3.4 million. It was bought by an American collector.
Despite a downturn in the Chinese economy which some fear will dent the region’s burgeoning art market, auction houses in Hong Kong say they are still optimistic that rare pieces will sell.
It is the first time that Artcurial has held an auction in the southern Chinese city, which has become an art hub for Asia.
It will hold two evenings of auctions Monday and Tuesday, featuring everything from paintings by Picasso and Renoir to bags by Hermès and a Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster.
Alongside the Hergé drawing contemporary European pieces from leading comic artists Enki Bilal, Moebius and Nicolas de Crécy were also on sale.
“Modern comics are like a painting -- it’s like modern art,” says Leroy.
Two of the comic artworks broke records for sales by the artist Monday, with a Bilal piece fetching HK$2.3 million and a Moebius going for HK$2.4 million.
artslife@thenational.ae
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UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
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Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Dos
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Don’ts
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India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
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All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
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2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
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Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
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Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
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Tries: Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungfasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (7). Penalty: Beauden Barrett
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
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The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Mercedes-GP Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas; Ferrari Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen; Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen; Force India Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez; Renault Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr; Williams Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa / Robert Kubica / Paul di Resta; McLaren Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne; Toro Rosso TBA; Haas F1 Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Sauber TBA
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm