Philippe Delaby signed serigraph : Gladiator

DELABY Philippe

Philippe DELABY was a Belgian comic book artist whose work stands out for its remarkable sense of composition and his great mastery of historical drawing.
After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai, he also attended courses related to the printing trades and developed a passion for cinema during his adolescence. Although he first made a name for himself in the field of illustration, he gradually established himself in the world of comics.
In 1997 he achieved wider recognition with Murena, a series written by Jean Dufaux and published by Dargaud. Set in ancient Rome during the reign of Nero, this ambitious historical fresco quickly became one of the major references of the genre. Through the precision of his documentation and the power of his staging, Delaby developed a drawing style that is both classical and spectacular, capable of vividly portraying the splendour, violence and political intrigues of the Roman Empire.
His style is characterised by a strong attention to anatomy, drapery and monumental architecture. Each page reveals particular care for settings and costumes, supported by extensive iconographic research. Beyond historical accuracy, Delaby also brought strong dramatic intensity to his characters, giving the series its powerful narrative force.
Passing away prematurely in 2014, Philippe Delaby left behind a remarkable body of work that helped renew contemporary historical comics. Through the precision of his drawing and the richness of his reconstructions, he belongs to the great tradition of Franco-Belgian historical comics and appears as one of the major heirs to Jacques Martin, the creator of Alix.

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