Highs and Lows
A collection of illustrations by world-renowned cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé.
Jean-Jacques Sempé
- The sixth collection of classic illustrations and cartoons by Sempé (b.1932) to be published by Phaidon
- In Highs and Lows, Sempé deals with the contrasts, contradictions and absurdities of modern urban life
- Originally published in France in 1970 and now available to an English-speaking audience for the first time
- Sempe's laconic, perfectly judged texts were translated by Anthea Bell, who helped bring Asterix the Gaul to the English-speaking world
- Will appeal to cartoon connoisseurs and Francophiles as well as the general public
Hardback
220 x 270 mm, 8 5/8 x 10 5/8 in
112 pp
190 black and white illustrations
ISBN 9780714846736
0714846732
Jean-Jacques Sempé is equally adept at capturing the little indignities (and triumphs) of everyday life as he is at high farce. In Highs and Lows, nothing is ever quite what it seems: small villages try to pass themselves off as major urban centres, and the roadsigns read ‘Uptown’, ‘Downtown’ and ‘Don’t Knows’. With his uncanny eye for the telling detail, Jean-Jacques Sempé captures the small rebellions and unexpected dramas of people who are striving to fit in and find their place in the modern world, and of people who would rather be somewhere – anywhere – else.
Most famous in the English-speaking world for his instantly recognizable New Yorker covers, Jean-Jacques Sempé has delighted readers in France and beyond with his witty drawings and keen eye for the finer points of the human condition for over 40 years. Now, his sharply observed and beautifully drawn cartoons are available in English for the first time. The pithy captions were translated from the original French by Anthea Bell, who also translated the Asterix comics into English.
Jean-Jacques Sempé (b.1932) is one of the world's most successful illustrators and cartoonists. He is the illustrator of the classic children's-book character, Nicholas, and author of a collection of some thirty albums of his cartoons and graphic novels, all published or to be published by Phaidon. His world-renowned illustrations and cartoons are featured on the cover of the New Yorker and in Paris Match.