Josette Baujot
Encyclopedia
Josette Baujot was a Belgian artist and colorist. She is most commonly associated with fellow Belgian comics writer Hergé
(Georges Rémi) and his Adventures of Tintin series.
. There she studied drawing
and portrait
ure at the Academy of Fine Arts in Liège. She married Joseph Baujot in 1944, with whom she moved to Argentina
. The couple bought a vineyard
there and had a son.
Her life changed abruptly when Joseph was shot dead while hunting in 1953. It was reported that he had been shot by members of the French or Belgian resistance who had tracked him down, however Joseph lived long enough to inform police that he had been accidentally shot by his friend. Josette returned to Brussels after his death. She eventually found work at the Hergé Studios. In Brussels she met cartoonist Joseph Loeckx
, also known by his nom de plume Jo-El Azara, creator of the character Taka Takata. He would remain her lifelong companion.
. She arrived as work was being completed for Destination Moon
(Objectif Lune), and she created the distinct color code of the work. She would later comment:
Hergé was eventually very pleased with the outcome of her coloring.
Baujot developed a distinct style of coloring, involving mixing of shades as opposed to the standard use of stark, contrasting colors. She would hone her technique throughout the upcoming Tintin projects, the next being Cigars of the Pharaoh
(Les Cigares du Pharaon, 1955).
Despite having differences and often arguing over ideas and plans, Hergé admired and respected Baujot, and they remained close friends. In his unfinished and final work, Tintin and Alph-Art
, Hergé drew a new character named "Josette Laijot", an owner of a gallery, based on Baujot.
She died on 13 August 2009. She is survived by Loeckx, along with her son Michel.
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
(Georges Rémi) and his Adventures of Tintin series.
Early life
She was born Josette Marie Louise Nondonfaz in Spa, BelgiumSpa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
. There she studied drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ure at the Academy of Fine Arts in Liège. She married Joseph Baujot in 1944, with whom she moved to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The couple bought a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
there and had a son.
Her life changed abruptly when Joseph was shot dead while hunting in 1953. It was reported that he had been shot by members of the French or Belgian resistance who had tracked him down, however Joseph lived long enough to inform police that he had been accidentally shot by his friend. Josette returned to Brussels after his death. She eventually found work at the Hergé Studios. In Brussels she met cartoonist Joseph Loeckx
Joseph Loeckx
Joseph Franz Hedwig Loeckx is a Belgian comic book artist. He works under the pseudonym of Jo-El Azara. Important series he has worked on include Clifton and Taka Takata.-Biography:...
, also known by his nom de plume Jo-El Azara, creator of the character Taka Takata. He would remain her lifelong companion.
Career
Originally, Hergé drew the cartoons for Tintin completely in black-and-white. As the popularity of the cartoons increased, he hired colorists to add color to the work. Baujot was hired in 1953, and eventually became Hergé's main colorist, along with Edgar Pierre JacobsEdgar Pierre Jacobs
Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, , better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgian comic book creator , born in Brussels, Belgium...
. She arrived as work was being completed for Destination Moon
Destination Moon (Tintin)
Destination Moon is the sixteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
(Objectif Lune), and she created the distinct color code of the work. She would later comment:
Hergé was eventually very pleased with the outcome of her coloring.
Baujot developed a distinct style of coloring, involving mixing of shades as opposed to the standard use of stark, contrasting colors. She would hone her technique throughout the upcoming Tintin projects, the next being Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh
Cigars of the Pharaoh is one of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero...
(Les Cigares du Pharaon, 1955).
Despite having differences and often arguing over ideas and plans, Hergé admired and respected Baujot, and they remained close friends. In his unfinished and final work, Tintin and Alph-Art
Tintin and Alph-Art
Tintin and Alph-Art was the intended twenty-fourth and final book in the Tintin series, created by Belgian comics artist Hergé. It is a striking departure from the earlier books in tone and subject, as well as in some parts of the style; rather than being set in a usual exotic and action-packed...
, Hergé drew a new character named "Josette Laijot", an owner of a gallery, based on Baujot.
She died on 13 August 2009. She is survived by Loeckx, along with her son Michel.