Corto Maltese Fable of Venice by Hugo Pratt

Here is a tier from the Fable of Venice book, a personal favorite. This is what I brought home from Como with me. In Fables, Venice is perhaps the second most important character reluctantly revealing some of her well hidden secrets through forgotten gardens and secret cults. I think this tier captures Corto and Pratt's Venice perfectly. The art is painted on the back which is how the Italian and some of the other European publishers did color guides. I have not seen it on Corto before as they were often printed without color but all the Fables of Venice have this treatment. When held up to the light, there is a neat effect. See additional images. I thought I was done with Hugo Pratt Corto Maltese after Lake Como Comic Art Festival in 2023 where I picked up my early Corto page. I was done. One Corto piece is more than any collector could want. Forward to Lake Como Festival this year. A few days before I arrive, my friend Giovanni sees this piece at a dealers table at the Napoli Comic Con. He sends me an image and my jaw hits the floor. You just don't see this quality of Corto Maltese come up for sale...ever. Especially from the Fable of Venice which many of the Corto connoisseurs consider his finest vintage. I was in Rome when I saw this piece about the same time as the Conclave started and by the time there was a new Pope I had decided I needed to try to make this work. We were in Naples after Rome and so I met up with the Italian art dealer and we came to an agreement. The price was agreed upon and we shook hands. I would pick up the art at Lake Como and that is how it went down. Lots more details but that is enough for this write up. Now this piece is here safely in Canada and I couldn't be more pleased with it.