An original cover painting from the 1963 comic book “Asterix and Cleopatra” faced a legal showdown as it was scheduled to go under the hammer on Sunday at the Brussels auction house Millon. The famous gouache, depicting the ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra alongside Gaulish heroes Asterix and Obelix, measured 32 by 17 centimetres and was expected to fetch between 400,000 to 500,000 euros ($430,000-540,000).
However, the auction faced a legal challenge from the daughter of the late French illustrator Albert Uderzo, Sylvie Uderzo. She argued that if her father had given the painting away, he would have signed and dedicated it, suggesting that the painting might have been stolen.
Millon contended that they were selling the work on behalf of the son of an individual who received it more than 50 years ago from Uderzo, the co-creator of the Asterix series, who passed away in 2020. Uderzo’s daughter had lodged a complaint with Belgian prosecutors on November 27, but the authorities found no grounds to suspect a crime had been committed, as revealed in a letter seen by AFP.
Sylvie Uderzo’s lawyer, Orly Rezlan, warned that any potential buyer of the cover painting could face legal consequences for receiving stolen goods. Millon, however, rejected this claim, emphasizing that many other non-dedicated pieces by Uderzo had previously been auctioned publicly.
Rezlan argued last week that Albert Uderzo had publicly stated during his lifetime that he would oppose the sale of any drawing that did not include his dedication. She highlighted Uderzo’s stance on original plates without dedications, stating, “If you bring one to me, I’ll dedicate it to you.”
Arnaud de Partz, director-general of Millon Belgium, countered this by pointing out that numerous non-dedicated pieces by Uderzo had already been auctioned. The auction house also presented a photograph showing a man identified as the owner of the drawing sharing a meal with Uderzo and his wife in Normandy in the late 1960s.
The original cover art for “Asterix and Cleopatra” parodies the poster for the 1963 Hollywood epic “Cleopatre,” with Uderzo’s rendition of Cleopatra in the same pose as Elizabeth Taylor. The legal dispute adds to a series of controversies surrounding the sale of original comic book art, emphasizing the challenges of balancing artistic heritage with the demands of the market.
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