ArtDependence | Tintinimaginatio, in Partnership With artèQ, Has Launched its First Two Tintin NFTs

Thursday, April 20, 2023

The Blue Lotus cover project, a unique drawing. The first illustration project created by Hergé in 1936 for the cover of The Blue Lotus was rejected by the publisher because it was too expensive to reproduce in colour. This artwork was sold at auction on January 14th, 2021 for €2.6M (excluding commission). Two auction world records: • For original artwork by Hergé. • For original comic strip artwork.

The Blue Lotus cover project, a unique drawing. The first illustration project created by Hergé in 1936 for the cover of The Blue Lotus was rejected by the publisher because it was too expensive to reproduce in colour. This artwork was sold at auction on January 14th, 2021 for €2.6M (excluding commission).
Two auction world records:
• For original artwork by Hergé.
• For original comic strip artwork.

The NFT collection includes two variants of “The Blue Lotus” NFTs, a limited edition print work of which only 777 copies were created and a purely digital NFT that is available in a similarly limited version of 1,777 pieces.

Each NFT has unique features, including geographic coordinates of Tintin’s travel locations and unlocks utilities including early access to new versions of “The Blue Lotus” book prior to publishing and exclusive passes to the Hergé museum. Buyers of “The Blue Lotus” Tintin NFTs will also receive a digital brochure on Hergé’s work, created exclusively by renowned Hergéologist Philippe Goddin. The brochure provides an in-depth look at the creation of the Tintin series and the artistic vision of Hergé.

Knowledge of its history is essential, because it is a source of value. The principle of the NFT - which can be summarised in three words: authenticity, clarity and traceability - will allow us to establish this value, as well as the quality and notoriety of Hergé's artistic work.

These unique technological objects provide an in-depth knowledge of the work that occupies a singular place in the artistic production of Hergé. For this reason, they will be accompanied by a digital booklet devised by the Hergéologist, Philippe Goddin.

The Blue Lotus printed and numbered

As part of the NFT Tintin collection,each "Blue Lotus" frame is numbered. The numbering is in Arabic numerals to which the corresponding Chinese characters have been added, in a traditional style similar to that used by Hergé for the purposes of the adventure. The calligraphy is entirely handmade by Fifi Tchang, the daughter of Hergé's famous friend who inspired the sidekick Tintin in The Blue Lotus.

This limited-edition print is also the subject of a NFT certificate bearing the identical numbering as that indicated on the back of the frame.