The Musicians

The artist / cartoonist / illustrator J.J. Sempe may not be familiar to many here in the US, but he is beloved in France. Here, however, he should be well known as a contributor to New Yorker magazine... having done dozens of covers over the years. This is one of his best book collections, with charming, insightful illustrations of the world of musicians. He gracefully peers into a moment in life and captures it with a few perfect lines. Subtle, beautiful, sweet. The color pages add a lot... worth every penny in either hardback, if you can find it, or paper.

When you read Sempe, you hear music. That's how good he is. Don't miss the small details here and there. It's like finding a gem among his pencil strokes. I would highly recommend this beautiful book to anybody.

I'm not sure that is the book I'm looking for. But I do know one thing about Sempe's relationship with music. I'd like to see his picture with simple line and deeply reflection from his mind. I can find that he is good in playing music than his paint. That's what I think about Sempe.