Artcurial

Known around the world for his blond quiff and daring adventures, Belgian comic book hero Tintin is setting the art world astir with an original illustration that could set a new record at auction.

The 1942 black-and-white ink drawing by creator Herge for the cover of the third volume in the series, "Tintin in America," is set to go on sale in Paris next month.

An original painting by Tintin creator Herge sold for a record 3.2 million euros ($3.9 million) at an online auction on Jan. 14, auction house Artcurial announced.

The item, intended as a front cover for "The Blue Lotus" volume from 1936, easily beat the previous record for the sale of comic book art of 2.65 million euros, which was reached in 2014 for a double-page drawing by Herge.

A Mona Lisa as puzzling as the smile of Leonardo da Vinci's muse -- made out of nearly 300 Rubik's Cubes -- sold for nearly half a million euros at auction in Paris on Feb. 23 evening.    

How much does it cost?
This information has circulated around the world in recent days. Curious and worried fans of the most visited, paid monument on the planet began to wonder what the fate of the 324-meter landmark would be.

PARIS (Reuters) - An early landscape by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the art world's most sought-after painters, sold for 7.07 million euros (6.21 million pounds) at an auction in Paris on Monday.

A painting by a young Vincent Van Gogh was sold at an auction in Paris on June 4 for more than seven million euros ($8.2 million), the Artcurial auction house said.

An original drawing from the popular Tintin adventure "Explorers on the Moon" sold for a record 1.55 million euros at a Paris auction on on Nov. 19, auction house Artcurial announced.

A page of original comic strip drawings from one of the best Tintin adventures, "Explorers on the Moon," is expected to sell for up to $1 million when it goes under the hammer later this month.

The page, entitled "We walk on the moon," has the boy reporter, his dog Snowy and blundering sidekick Captain Haddock making their first moon walk from their red and white rocket.