VANCE

WILLIAM VANCE XIII Original illustration created for the greetings card published by Dargaud in 2007. Signed. India ink and gouache on paper 31.1 × 39.8 cm (12.24 × 15.67 in.) Magnificent illustration by William Vance. A true master of atmosphere, he places XIII and Major Jones in front of Zeke Hataway's house under a heavy, heavy sky, barely shimmering with cold light, from which heavy snow has just fallen. Yet not everything is crushed by the elements in this scene, as our two heroes settle in, XIII picking up the groceries for Christmas dinner, Jones carrying the presents, while the children frolic around their snowman. The only spot of warm color is the entrance to the house, from which one imagines a welcoming hearth, the promise of a table where a magnificent Thanksgiving turkey probably takes pride of place.