The Godfather of the Graphic Novel Will Eisner Receives a Career-Spanning Exhibition of Art at New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery

The Exhibit Will Feature 79 Original Pieces, Including Pages from 'The Spirit,' 'Comic Strips from New York Big City,' and a sequential presentation of 'A Contract With God: The Super.'

This month the renowned Philippe Labaune Gallery in New York City will host a career-spanning exhibition of legendary cartoonist Will Eisner’s artwork, featuring groundbreaking work from every stage of the artist’s career from 1941 to  2002. Organized in collaboration with  Denis Kitchen and the Eisner estate, the exhibition honors Will Eisner’s artistic vision and significant contributions to the medium, offering an opportunity to experience firsthand the creativity and innovation behind his iconic work. In addition to war-time drawings, pages from Eisner’s beloved The Spirit, and New York The Big City comic strips, the exhibit will feature an almost complete sequential presentation of A Contract With God: The Super.

Known as the father of the graphic novel, Will Eisner’s comic career began when his cartoons were featured in 1936’s Wow Magazine. From there, the pioneering artist and writer went on to create the fan-favorite hero The Spirit and help shape the comic book medium as we know it today. A Contract with God is considered to be the first modern graphic novel and remains the holy grail of sequential art. Written a few years after losing his young daughter to leukemia, A Contract with God is Eisner’s most personal work composed of 4 stories set in a Tenement in the Bronx. “The Super” is a dark and touching exploration of the tensions between the tenants and their superintendent that reminds readers that nothing is as simple as it seems. Eisner’s passion for the comic form and profound empathy are visible on every page. 

“Eisner believed that the power of comics lies in their ability to communicate complex ideas through both words and images,” said Philippe Labaune. “Eisner’s innovations were not confined to his own craft; he was also a teacher and advocate for the comic book medium as a serious art form. His educational efforts helped bridge the gap between comic books and fine art, making him a central figure in the movement to elevate comics as legitimate literary endeavors.”

The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The roots of Philippe Labaune Gallery have a strong European influence: among the artists are esteemed creators such as Lorenzo Mattotti, Nicolas de Crécy, Guido Crepax, Dave Mckean or François Schuiten. In recent years, American artists such as Landis Blair, Rebecca Leveille Guay, Frank Miller, and Peter de Sève have helped Philippe Labaune Gallery to foster a community of overlapping art collectors and comic fans from all over the world. 

The Will Eisner Exhibit will be open to the public from February 13 to Saturday, March 8. There will be an opening reception on February 13 from 6 PM to 9 PM.