Danish Pop Arts Grandmaster. There are few who own the same patience, technology and talent as Ole Ahlberg - and with his sense of beautiful dressed ladies, combined with items from, among others, Hergé Tintin, he has secured recognition and fame beyond Denmark's borders.
Litography from CLOT, BRAMSEN & GEORGES, today the oldest printing workshop in Paris, was founded by Auguste Clot back in late 18th century, where he was known as the capitals finest art printer.
Not only due to his skills, but not at least, the new way he mixed the various colors in the printing process attracted the young “Nabis” who in Auguste Clot found a true and highly professional inspirator. As the predecessors, the Impressionists, Vollard also ordered prints by the young “Nabis” to be a part of his famous graphic albums.
From 1896 the most beautiful works were printed at Clots presses, signed by Degas, Cézanne, Renoir, Sisley, Redon, Bonnard, Vuillard, Signac, Munch, Rodin and many others.
In 1934 André Clot, the son of the founder Auguste Clot succeeded his father as daily leader. In this period, Rouault, Matisse, Denis, Roussel, Guillaumin, Foujita and others had their time in the workshop
In 1963 the Danish lithograph Peter Bramsen enters the workshop as associates.
In 1965 together with the founder’s grandson Dr. Guy Georges they found EDITIONS ATELIER CLOT - publishing prints.
In 1968 the workshop moves to larger premises situated in Rue Vielle du Temple in the center of the Marais district. Again the old printing workshop succeeded to attract artists creating masterpieces on the old stone press. Just to mention Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky, Antonio Saura, Bram Van Velde, Maurice Wyckaert, Pol Bury, Roland Topor, Tabuschi , Jan Voss, Antonio Segui, and many other well know international artists.
In 1988 Christian Bramsen enters the company as associate, and a guarantee for the high professional standard will maintain as it was founded for over 100 years ago. Christian Bramsen is international oriented, and among others, he arranges retrospective exhibitions all over the world, mostly focusing on a specific artist and his works created at the workshop.
From 2004 Morten Brunholt takes over the established sales representation in Scandinavia, and as from 2013 now also a part of the Scandinavian publishing activities.
Technically, Ahlberg is in full control, he paints narrowly and precisely to the smallest detail; Nevertheless, Tintin appears perfectly cartoonish and sincere awkward in the adult universe. Ahlberg simply melts two completely different values together without overconstructing it.
If the toys Ole Ahlberg often places in his pictures are a solid symbol of innocence, then it’s a different matter when it comes to the figure of Tintin, who has become a kind of trademark for the artist. For Tintin is a completely fictitious person. Plus he’s a very special type, one where you don’t find even an inkling of a love life in any of the comics. With the exception of the opera-singing, bosomy Milanese nightingale, Bianca Castafiore, women are by and large missing from Tintin’s universe. Even the heavily drinking and constantly cursing Captain Haddock shies terrifyingly away from Castafiore’s advances, which are more a publicity stunt than a real declaration of love. Ole Ahlberg places this quite unusually virtuous comic strip figure in situations where he is confronted with very corporeal and scantily clad earthy women. With great wonder, or should we say shock, Tintin stares at the forbidden fruit. His facial expressions, often taken from episodes in actual comics, reveal that all this eroticism is completely alien to him. As though it came from another planet. Ole Ahlberg, leaving no room for doubt, emphasizes that Tintin is a fictitious person by depicting him using Herges’ sharp, black contours in contrast to the rest of the paintings clair obscure.
Before the popular breakthrough, Ole Ahlberg was best known as (80er) surrealist, and as part of the art association "Pas Partout" he already made strong works at the time - and they were hard to get hold of. Today you have to think and act quickly if you want to own one of the new original works.