Tintin's Blue Lotus Cover at Auction by Artcurial

The “Blue Lotus” is one of Hergé's masterpieces. The album marks a turning point in his creation. BELGA via AFP
The “Blue Lotus” is one of Hergé's masterpieces. The album marks a turning point in his creation. BELGA via AFP
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Tintin's Blue Lotus Cover at Auction by Artcurial

The “Blue Lotus” is one of Hergé's masterpieces. The album marks a turning point in his creation. BELGA via AFP
The “Blue Lotus” is one of Hergé's masterpieces. The album marks a turning point in his creation. BELGA via AFP

The Artcurial auction house has sold eight of Hergé's great Tintin paintings for record prices, including one sold in 2014 for $3.6 million. The house is expected to break a new record on January 14 with another Tintin drawing. It is auctioning a 1936 cover drawn by Hergé for one of Tintin's volumes entitled "The Blue Lotus."

According to AFP, the cover is expected to fetch over two million euros.

The "masterpiece" features Tintin in a Chinese costume, emerging from a jar in front of a menacing dragon.

The amazing cover made with Indian ink, watercolor, and gouache, will likely break the last record price fetched by another Tintin drawing in 2014.

The Blue Lotus cover is one of the Belgian artist's greatest pieces, and was considered a turning point in his journey. It was published in 1934-1935 in the "Petit-Vingtième" magazine before the official release of the album in 1936.

Georges Rémi, known as Hergé, fell for China after he met Tchang Tchong-Jen, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, and they became friends for life.

The painting wasn't selected for the cover of "The Blue Lotus" because it was judged too expensive to reproduce by the publisher, which ultimately used a simplified version of the same scene.

But, this work, displayed in an online auction due to the pandemic restrictions, has raised many question marks. According to the owners, heirs of the Tintin publisher Louis Casterman, the drawing on sale was given as a present by Hergé to Casterman's son (seven years old at the time).

It is believed that the kid folded the drawing and kept it in a drawer for decades.

However, experts are skeptical about this story. Philippe Goddin, professional expert of Tintin, says the story of Jean-Paul Casterman (who died in 2019) about receiving this painting as a gift is "very doubtful."

He suggests the folding marks on the drawing because Hergé placed it in an envelope before sending it to the magazine's vice president.



7 California Men Charged in 'Largest Jewelry Heist' in US History

One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
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7 California Men Charged in 'Largest Jewelry Heist' in US History

One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)

Seven men from California have been charged in the "largest jewelry heist in US history,” involving the theft of $100 million worth of gold, gems, and luxury watches, according to BBC.

The heist has been a mystery in California for nearly three years after a Brinks company truck transporting the jewelry was robbed at a remote stop as one driver slept inside, and another was having a meal.

The suspects tracked the truck as it left a jewelry show near San Francisco with 73 bags, officials said.

The next morning, they stole 24 bags when the truck was at a rest stop in Lebec, California, according to court documents.

The indictment does not say how they gained access to the truck.

Announcing the charges on Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that one of the suspects scouted a jewelry show near San Francisco for several days in 2022 and then robbed the truck with his accomplices in the early hours of 11 July.

A copy of the indictment says the defendants watched as a Brinks truck was loaded with jewels and then followed the truck for approximately 300 miles (485 km) from San Mateo to Lebec, California.

While the truck was parked at a stop in Lebec, the suspects allegedly stole 24 bags containing about $100 million in jewelry, the court document says.

Officials said the robbers did not use any weapons during the heist.

The robbery was discovered when the driver returned to the vehicle and saw that the exterior padlock was missing. Authorities believe it was sawed off.

The truck was on its way to another jewelry show in Pasadena, California.

Some of the jewels were recovered during the execution of search warrants on 16 June, according to a DOJ statement.

Jerry Kroll, an attorney who represents some of the jewelers whose merchandise was stolen, told the BBC he did not know how much had been recovered.