Rare Tintin in America artwork by Herge sells for record-breaking £1.9m

A piece of artwork by Tintin creator Herge has set the world record for the most valuable original black and white drawing by the artist – after selling at auction for more than €2m.

The drawing, Tintin In America – created in 1942 – was used for the colour edition of the Belgian cartoonist’s 1946 book of the same name.

The book is the third instalment in Herge’s The Adventures Of Tintin series about the young Belgian reporter and his dog Snowy.

It sees the pair travel to the United States, where Tintin reports on organised crime in Chicago.

At the sale on Friday, organised by French auction house Artcurial, the black and white drawing sold for a total of €2m euros (£1,900,000).

It was drawn using Indian ink, graphite, blue pencil and corrective gouache – and was accompanied by its official certificate from the Herge Committee.

“General de Gaulle once declared ‘my only international rival is Tintin’. This sale in the world of Herge, with this new record for an original drawing in black and white, confirms it,” said Eric Leroy, cartoon expert at Artcurial.

Herge’s Tintin comics are considered among the most popular of the 20th century and the series has been translated into over 70 languages. The stories have also been adapted into numerous films, television series, and stage productions.

The cartoonist, real name Georges Prosper Remi who wrote under the pen name Hergé, was also known for the series Quick & Flupke and The Adventures Of Jo, Zette And Jocko.

Hergé’s distinctive style and attention to detail in both the artwork and the storytelling have earned him a reputation as one of the most significant figures in the history of comics.

The series first appeared in 1929 and continued until Hergé’s death in 1983 at the age of 75.

PA