I would love to know the details on the Louvre series published by NBM. This latest installment, “Guardians of the Louvre,” by acclaimed manga artist Jirô Taniguchi just goes to show once again how unique this subject is and the endless possibilities for it. What a great cartoonist wants in a project, especially one who both writes and draws and has done so for many years, is a task worthy of the enormous effort. And, to sweeten the deal, make it something heroic. A cartoonist loves it when he or she can make a grand gesture.
What I’m saying about the grand gesture is so very true. Look at how Taniguchi responds to the task: his main character/alter ego is reduced to a little heap in comparison to the Louvre and its many treasures, opportunities, and mysteries. He arrives in Paris completely spent from a bad case of the flu. He is completely overwhelmed, out of his element, his observations through a fever dream. Like Little Nemo on his magic flying bed, we set off on a most unusual journey.
Our hero, due to a bad rabbit stew or some such mishap, is now in tune with the supernatural elements of the Louvre. When you consider that we are talking about a museum that is over 200 years old, as large as ten football fields, holding 70,000 pieces of art going back to antiquity, well, it would not be surprising to find that it has many tales to tell and that it is at least a bit haunted, right? Taniguchi asks that you run with that idea.
And so one grand gesture leads to another. We see poltergeist in all their gloopy glory floating about. We meet a beautiful ghost, presumably the Winged Victory. And, it just goes on from there as we go in and out of time, meet various artists long gone expect very much alive in this moment. The Louvre is a House of Leaves. It is a place that insists you shed your normal skin and walk amongst it. You inhabit a place such as the Louvre and you can’t help but let it inhabit you.
“Guardians of the Louvre” is the latest in the NBM Louvre series. It is a full color hardcover, right to left reading manga-style, 8 x 11, 136 pages. For more details, go right here.
This sounds fascinating! Having visited The Louvre a few years back I’m sure it would resonate. Nice write-up… 😉
Thanks, Carolyn. The Louvre has endless possibilities. I was similarly enraptured by it.
Reminded me of Tintin 🙂
Yes, a bit of that. But the art here is even more lush.
Wow! This looks fantastic. I love how he shows the Assyrian sculptures.
Lots of wonderful details.
I just ordered four of the Louvre series! Thanks for the tip.
Excellent! I understand that the next one in the series will likely be out next year by Etienne Davodeau (Initiates, Lulu Anew). NBM has a link here on this artist: http://www.nbmpub.com/comicslit/ignorants/intitiateshome.html
Oh this looks amazing! Taniguchi is always such a master at creating peculiar but absorbing atmospheres, his look at the Louvre must be captivating!
Indeed, a perfect match of artist with subject.