Jean-Jacques Sempé
Encyclopedia
Jean-Jacques Sempé, usually known as Sempé (born 17 August 1932 in Bordeaux
), is a French cartoonist
. Some of his cartoons are quite striking, but retain a sentimental and often a somewhat gentle edge to them, even if the topic is a difficult one to approach. He once drew a series called Le petit Nicolas
, starting it in the 1950s, but he is best known for his posterlike illustrations, usually drawn from a distant or high viewpoint depicting detailed countrysides or cities.
. After lying about his age, he joined the army
in 1950, since it was “the only place that would give me a job and a bed,” he subsequently explained, and would occasionally get into trouble for drawing while he was supposed to be keeping watch during guard duty.
After being discharged from the army, he moved to Paris and began working with René Goscinny
. Sempé has spent most of his life in Paris' Saint-Germain-des-Prés
district.
industry. His "mute" watercolors or single image sketches, where the characters speak in pictures or not at all (but somehow manage to convey a rich story) slowly gained international attention. He won his first award in 1952 which is given to encourage young amateur artists to turn professional.
His work has appeared as the cover of The New Yorker
magazine many times. Sempé’s full page cartoons appeared in Paris Match
for many years. In the 1950s, Sempé became renowned for his creation of a character named Nicolas in his cartoons for Le Moustique, a comic book proposed by René Goscinny to Sempé. Le Petit Nicolas
appeared from 1954 in Le Moustique and Sempé drew upon childhood influences and memories to illustrate the comic. In 1960, the comic Le Petit Nicolas was published in Pilote
. It was unusual at the time modern children's literature given that it is centered around the experience of the child, rather than an adult interpretation of the world.
In general though, Sempé rarely draws from life, and draws something every day, putting sketches aside when he gets bored with them.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
), is a French cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
. Some of his cartoons are quite striking, but retain a sentimental and often a somewhat gentle edge to them, even if the topic is a difficult one to approach. He once drew a series called Le petit Nicolas
Le petit Nicolas
Le Petit Nicolas is a series of French children's books. It was created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé and it was published for the first time on March 29, 1959...
, starting it in the 1950s, but he is best known for his posterlike illustrations, usually drawn from a distant or high viewpoint depicting detailed countrysides or cities.
Early life
Sempé was expelled from school as a young man, and then failed to pass exams for the post office, a bank and the railroad. He then found work selling tooth powder as a door-to-door salesman and also worked delivering wine by bicycle in the GirondeGironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
. After lying about his age, he joined the army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
in 1950, since it was “the only place that would give me a job and a bed,” he subsequently explained, and would occasionally get into trouble for drawing while he was supposed to be keeping watch during guard duty.
After being discharged from the army, he moved to Paris and began working with René Goscinny
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
. Sempé has spent most of his life in Paris' Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
district.
Artistic career
His career started in France within the context of the Franco-Belgian comicsFranco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
industry. His "mute" watercolors or single image sketches, where the characters speak in pictures or not at all (but somehow manage to convey a rich story) slowly gained international attention. He won his first award in 1952 which is given to encourage young amateur artists to turn professional.
His work has appeared as the cover of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine many times. Sempé’s full page cartoons appeared in Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
for many years. In the 1950s, Sempé became renowned for his creation of a character named Nicolas in his cartoons for Le Moustique, a comic book proposed by René Goscinny to Sempé. Le Petit Nicolas
Le petit Nicolas
Le Petit Nicolas is a series of French children's books. It was created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé and it was published for the first time on March 29, 1959...
appeared from 1954 in Le Moustique and Sempé drew upon childhood influences and memories to illustrate the comic. In 1960, the comic Le Petit Nicolas was published in Pilote
Pilote
thumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as Astérix le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
. It was unusual at the time modern children's literature given that it is centered around the experience of the child, rather than an adult interpretation of the world.
In general though, Sempé rarely draws from life, and draws something every day, putting sketches aside when he gets bored with them.
Collections published Éditions Denoël
- Rien n'est simple (1961)
- Tout se complique (1962)
- Sauve qui peut (1964)
- Monsieur Lambert (1965)
- La grande panique (1966)
- Saint Tropez (1968)
- L'information consommation (1968)
- Marcelin Caillou (1969)
- Des hauts et des bas (1970)
- Face à face (1972)
- Bonjour bonsoir (1974)
- L'ascension sociale de Monsieur Lambert (1975)
- Simple question d'équilibre (1977)
- Un léger décalage (1977)
- Les musiciens (1979)
- Comme par hasard (1981)
- De bon matin (1983)
- Vaguement compétitif (1985)
- Luxe, calme et volupté (1987)
- Par avion (1989)
- Vacances (1990)
- Ames sœurs (1991)
- Insondables mystères (1993)
- Raoul Taburin (une bicyclette à propos de son père) (1995)
- Grands rêves (1997)
- Beau temps (1999)
- Multiples intentions (2003)
- Sentiments distingués (2007)
Filmed portrait
- Sempé, rêver pour dessiner (2002) – director Françoise GALLO – International Prize FIFAP UNESCO "Meilleure démarche d'Artsite" DVD Digipack (fr)
Compilations
- En avant -1967 – Pauvert
- Quelques manifestants – 1983 – ISBN 2-207-22943-2
- Quelques enfants – 1983 – ISBN 2-207-22942-4
- Quelques jours de congé – 1984 – ISBN 2-207-23010-4
- Quelques vices impunis – 1986 – ISBN 2-207-23798-2
- Quelques romantiques – 1986 – ISBN 2-207-23288-3
- Quelques représentations – 1987 – ISBN 2-207-23420-7
- Quelques concerts – 1987 – ISBN 2-207-23421-5
- Catherine Certitude (avec Patrick ModianoPatrick ModianoPatrick Modiano is a French novelist born 30 July 1945 in Boulogne-Billancourt of a father of Jewish Italian origins and a Belgian mother, Louisa Colpijn . He is a winner of the Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française in 1972, the Prix Goncourt in 1978 for his novel Rue des boutiques obscures...
) – 1988 – ISBN 2-07-056423-1 - Quelques artistes et gens de lettres – 1989
- Quelques citadins – 1989 – ISBN 2-207-23579-3
- Quelques sentiments de culpabilité – 1991 – ISBN 2-207-23860-1
- Quelques meneurs d'hommes – 1991 – ISBN 2-207-23087-2
- L'histoire de Monsieur Sommer (avec Patrick SüskindPatrick SüskindPatrick Süskind is a German writer and screenwriter.- Life and work :The public knows little about Patrick Süskind. He has withdrawn from the literary scene in Germany and never grants interviews or allows photos. He was born in Ambach am Starnberger See, near Munich in Germany...
) – 1991 – ISBN 2070566153 - Quelques philosophes – 2002 – ISBN 2-207-25373-2
- Le monde Sempé – 2002 – ISBN 2-207-25399-6
- Un peu de Paris – 2001
- Un peu de la France – nov 5 (aquarelles sans texte)
- Sempé : livre édité en tirage limité à 500 exemplaires en 1998, reproduisant 51 dessins inédits ou couvertures du "New Yorker"; format 30x25 cm (édition galerie Martine GOSSIEAUX à Paris)
- Sempé : livre édité en tirage limité à 500 exemplaires en 2000, reproduisant 61 dessins inédits; format 28x22 cm (édition galerie Martine GOSSIEAUX à Paris)
- Sempé : Enfances – livre édité en tirage limité à 900 exemplaires en 2004, sans texte, reproduisant 40 dessins en partie inédits; format 33x24 cm (édition galerie Martine GOSSIEAUX à Paris)