Silent Strains of Jean-Jacques Sempé, the Musician Who Drew

Many of us are familiar with the delightful illustrations of Jean-Jacques Sempé, who inadvertently described himself by saying « Il m’est arrivé de devenir, par moments, raisonnable, mais jamais adulte », “It occurred to me, every now and then, to be sensible, but never adult.” Sempé became widely known in France after illustrating René Goscinny’s children’s book series Le Petit Nicholas. In America, however, he is best loved for the more than 100 covers he produced for The New Yorker.

Sempé’s childhood was far from ideal, his parents perpetually argued and struggled to pay their bills. At 14, he dropped out of school and began taking unskilled jobs to earn money. Around the age of 18, he persuaded the French newspaper Sud-Ouest to publish three of his humoristic cartoons and the rest is history. By the time he died in 2022, Sempé had signed his name to hundreds of thousands of illustrations, garnered fans all over the globe, and witnessed the sale of one of his original watercolors for more than $82,000.

One would think that Sempé was obviously a man who loved his job. There’s no question that he threw himself into his work and admired many of his fellow illustrators. Yet, in a series of interviews he granted to French journalist Marc Lecarpentier, Sempé confessed to a lasting and deep-seated regret. Music had always been his first love, and he would have much preferred a career as a musician.

A Non-Existent Pipe Dream

Born in 1932, like most children of his era, Sempé grew up with radio playing a central role in the family household. His parents seem to have cared little about music, but once everyone was in bed, Sempé would leave his room and tiptoe downstairs to the family wireless. With the volume low, and his ear glued to the speaker, he would revel in the melodies that miraculously materialized.

In Lecarpentier’s book, Musiques, Sempé describes the overwhelming feelings of awe he experienced when falling upon artists like Debussy and Ellington for the first time. The idea that he might study music, however, was unfathomable. His parents had neither the depth nor the wherewithal to envision a musical future for their offspring. When asked if he ever talked about music with his mother or father, Sempé replied:

Untapped Talents

Despite the impossibility of becoming a musician, Sempé’s passion for the classics and jazz endured throughout his life. He had a gifted ear and when pressed mentioned occasions when he tapped out a melody on the piano or received a lesson from an accomplished performer. Such attempts at learning an instrument only served to discourage him.

Yet, Sempé’s evolution from precocious radio listener to avid concert goer and music collector signals more than just an affection for melody. Over time he developed a profound understanding of whatever he was listening to.

Sempé’s fame eventually yielded conversations with many of his idols, Duke Ellington chief among them. While drawing and watercolor paved his way out of poverty, he credits artists such as Ellington, Debussy, Ravel, and the French vocalist Charles Trenet for saving his life.

A Glimpse of Sempé’s Musicians

I’ve written about Victor Hugo’s forays into visual artistry, a successful author who painted. In that case, it’s clear that Hugo was first a writer and second, an artist. To hear Sempé talk, a sort of reversal is at play. He was first a musician. An unrealized musician, who happened to earn a living by drawing.

Perhaps you’ll find a bit of the same magic that Sempé saw in the lives of musicians, by perusing the narrow sample of his works that follows.

Allegro.

Already at work?

“It’s a dance card. Here’s how you use it: the first young man who invites you to dance, you note his name next to a dance, maybe two if you want — you do the same with the second who arrives and so on…”

Your Thoughts

Which of the above drawings are your favorites? Perhaps you can share some of your own memories of Sempé’s work? Does his regret at never becoming a musician surprise you?