GIBRAT - Lot 86

GIBRAT JEAN-PIERRE GIBRAT Le Sursis, Dupuis 1997 Original plate no. 51. Signed. Watercolor and acrylic inks on paper 29.8 × 45 cm (11.73 × 17.72 in.) All of Gibrat's art is to be found in this plate, which is a veritable invitation to travel. The narrative is clear: the journey by bike to Figeac station, with its beautiful lights and rolling Lot countryside; the busy travelers, carrying suitcases and trunks under the suspicious eye of German soldiers ; settling into the train, where we recognize Jean Gabin, while an old lady takes offense that we're opening the window to look at the landscape; and finally, the hero falling asleep as he prepares to join his fiancée in Paris on a journey that, in those days, took seven or eight hours. Through this accumulation of little things, Gibrat manages to create a unique atmosphere, giving his characters a depth not found anywhere else. In every story, there's a pivotal moment that justifies the whole narrative, even the title, and this page is one of them... The only one who doesn't know it is Julien... So I'll shut up... Jean-Pierre Gibrat