sempé - the frenchman who conquered new york

This book  I lift down from my shelves again and again, just for the pleasure of immersing myself into the poetical, whimsical world of Jean Jaques Sempé, a French artist, who has been drawing for 50 years and who in particular conquered New York with his numerous cover illustrations for the New Yorker.

Jean Jaques Sempé has a poet's soul, his characters are small, lost in a giant world of urban buildings, tall trees and infinite ocean.   His characters are musical, there are many children, and cats.  I adore his sense of humour,  his fine observation.

Equally at ease when drawing Paris as New York, he lived in both places for years.  But it was a teenage dream come true the day the New Yorker accepted his first drawing, and then gave him  his first front cover.   A short while later he had his own space in their offices and today, with over 100 front covers to his name he is part of the institution.

 

If you are visiting Paris this winter, there is an exhibition of his drawings at the Town Hall.  Not to be missed!!  And if you'd like to acquire one of his delicious watercolours for your own home, the place to go is the Galérie Martine Gossieux in Paris.