Paul Gillon

Deeply influenced by great American artists including Alex Raymond and Milton Caniff, Paul Gillon developed a rigorous, highly polished realistic style, tinged with classicism. His pages, conceived with mathematical precision, are true works of art, both for their meticulous and rigorous composition and for their sometimes monumental size, allowing for broad brushstrokes without ever being constrained by their format. This distinctive characteristic stems from a hip condition that forced him to draw standing up since childhood. Unrestricted, his inking displays its full mastery and structures his pages by reinterpreting his initial pencil sketch, imbuing it with strength, depth, and vigor. More than simply inking a project, Gillon reinterprets his drawing, refines it, and develops it until it reaches its full potential. This rare technical mastery is hailed by his peers as one of the most accomplished in French realistic comic art. 

Paul Gillon's market value remains strong without reaching the heights of the greatest names in comic art; original pages from his flagship series are highly sought after among collectors. Of particular note is the record for a page from La Survivante (The Survivor), which sold for €10050 (excluding fees) at a Daniel Maghen Auction in 2021.

To ensure that your pages are kept in good condition, we recommend that you never expose them to direct light, as UV rays can damage the media used to produce them. Although Indian ink is a perennial material, the paper support may change when exposed to UV light. Note that watercolor plates require special attention, as this medium is particularly sensitive to light. Pieces containing pastel or charcoal require special care to avoid rubbing.
We advise you to display them away from windows, and to use frames made of pH-neutral conservation materials and “Museum” glass with anti-UV and anti-reflective treatment. If you prefer to keep your works unframed, we recommend storing them flat, in drawing cartons, with sheets of pH-neutral permanent paper in between. Keep them away from light and humidity

 Paul Gillon (1926–2011) began his career at the age of fourteen by illustrating song sheet music and drawing caricatures of performing artists for Samedi-Soir and Gavroche. In the 1960s, he became one of the most sought-after illustrators in Paris, in high demand among media moguls such as Paul Winkler, Daniel Filipacchi, and Pierre Lazareff. A mainstay of the weekly magazine Vaillant starting in 1947, he explored all realistic genres there: exotic themes, historical reenactments like Fils de Chine (Son of China) - a biography of Mao - and pirate adventures like Capitaine Cormoran, before creating his own series, Jérémie, in 1968, which won the Phénix Prize. Together with Jean-Claude Forest, he conceived Les Naufragés du temps (The Shipwrecked of Time) in 1964, a science-fiction “cosmic opera” first serialized in Métal Hurlant, which earned him the Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême in 1982. As a co-founder of the publishing house Les Humanoïdes Associés alongside Druillet, Mœbius, and Dionnet, he explored erotic themes with La Survivante (The Survivor, 1985–1991), before concluding his career with the legal series L’Ordre de Cicéron, written by the attorney Richard Malka.  Complete biography.