Exposition Will

A true pillar of the Journal de Spirou, this Belgian cartoonist, trained by Jijé, drew the adventures of famous characters such as Tif et Tondu and Isabelle, and brought to life one of the greatest villains in comic art history, Monsieur Choc. His career led him to work with the best comic artists and scriptwriters, including Franquin, Macherot, Maurice Rosy, Maurice Tillieux, Stephen Desberg, and others.

Rarely exhibited, nearly 70 of Will's originals are on display at the Daniel Maghen Gallery: pages, album covers, the Journal de Spirou covers, paintings, drawings... retracing a lifetime's artwork. The exhibition first plunges visitors into the adventures of Tif and Tondu. Around thirty pages are on display, including those from cult albums such as Tif et Tondu Plein gaz. This is followed by an immersion into the poetic and fantastical world of Isabelle, an essential series with endearing characters, the result of constantly renewed graphic creativity. The exhibition also offers a more intimate and personal insight into Will's artwork. It brings together around fifteen figurative and expressionist paintings and illustrations from his Belles de Will series and his canvases inspired by the landscapes of the south of France. Finally, the exhibition ends with the last three albums drawn by Will in direct color: Le Jardin des désirs, La 27e lettre and L'Appel de l'enfer. In these albums written by Stephen Desberg, Will unleashes all the softness and intimacy of his line while revealing the power of his color palette.

The exhibition allows visitors to admire the semi-realistic style and sense of composition that characterizes Will, his way of putting his characters in perspective in varied, refined settings often inspired by nature.

The Maltaite family, Daniel Maghen, Vincent Odin, Éditions Dupuis and Éditions du Lombard are delighted to invite you to the exhibition opening on Thursday, November 23, at 7 p.m.