“Billions of Bilious Blue Blistering Barnacles!”
A model of the Unicorn ship built in 1942 for Hergé himself was sold recently at an auction in Brussels. This model was made to help Hergé draw the Tintin album “The Secret of the Unicorn.”
Although the price estimate was between €15,000-€20,000, it fetched a whooping €32,000.
The model was quite well-known to art historians and Tintin enthusiasts. But until recently, nobody had ever laid eyes upon it.
The near-mythical boat model has three masts, 50 guns, 55cm long from the stern to the prow, with linen sails and a layer of dust that shows its age.
In 1942, Hergé asked his friend Gérard Liger-Belair, a professional model maker, to make the ship for him. Liger-Belair drew the plans of the Unicorn and built a model that was delivered around early 1943 to Hergé. That was the last it was seen.
At the auction, it has come to light that in 1960, Hergé offered the model to his veterinarian, whose grandchildren auctioned the model.
Philippe Goddin, biographer of the acclaimed artist-writer, confirmed the authenticity of the model.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
