Hugo Pratt, musee des confluences, Lyon

My reason for going to Lyon last Saturday was to see an exhibit of graphic novel artist, HUGO PRATT, HORIZON LINES at MUSEE DES CONFLUENCE. I caught a bus across from the Halles Paul Bocuse. The driver and his pal explained I would have to change to another bus. I was escorted to the other bus, which took me to the end of a peninsula surrounded by many modern structures but no museum in sight. I had to enter a tunnel, cross some highways. Et voila!

An amazing structure said to look like a floating crystal cloud of stainless steel and glass designed by an Austrian group, Coop Himmelbleau.

Inside an equally astonishing experience to wander through

The perfect setting for the other worldly drawings of Hugo Pratt.

The display was a dramatic mixup of ethnographic objects and his blown-up cartoons.

You're immediately drawn in.

For once wall notes were in English, French and Italian. Pratt was born in Venice, spent early years in Africa and lived in London, Argentina, Brazil, Paris, Lausanne. And in general traveled the world searching for settings for his main character, adventurer/sailr/hero, CORTO MALTESE, who somewhat resembles Burt Lancaster...as well as Hugo Pratt himself.

I was attracted to Pratt's delicate washy watercolors a few years back.

Plus he does good seagulls...

Wonderfully loose sketch sheets

What's not to love?

Painting in his Swiss studio. He died in '95 just 62 years old, but he expanded the graphic novel to new heights from 1967 with his eye for cinematography and his adventurous storylines influenced by Kipling, Stevenson, Melville.

I was so tempted to buy a big empty paintbox like Pratt's at Boesner this week.

Love his loose personal sketch sheets..

Which contrast with his strong black and white graphics

Drawing ✍️ with India ink are as enticing. The exhibition is appropriately called "Horizon Lines"

After 2 hours of immersion and inspiration, I hopped on a tram in front. Then a short metro trip to the center of Lyon, before returning home. Somehow I missed the Musee de Cinema et Miniatures. Plus the famous silk museum. I’ll return soon. The Hugo Pratt exhibit is on through October, 2018.

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