When it was published, I thought, OK, maybe 300 people will buy it. “I thought no one will publish it I will make 10 copies for my friends. Satrapi said she had been “completely surprised” at the book’s success. “Each of these pages is a tribute to the history of Iran, but also to every child that grew up in times of conflict.” Sotheby’s contemporary and Middle Eastern art specialist Ashkan Baghestani said: “Persepolis is an undisputed masterpiece, a phenomenon that transcended borders and established comic books as a literary genre in its own right. In 2019, it was listed on the Guardian’s 100 best books of the 21st century. An autobiographical account of Satrapi’s childhood, it challenged western preconceptions of Iranian history and society, and combined intimate and comical storytelling with social, political and spiritual questions. Published in 2000, Persepolis swiftly became an international bestseller, and is considered a modern masterpiece. She took the decision to sell six months ago, “at a time when I could never have imagined it would be in the context of the incredible scenes we’re seeing in Iran today”. Forty-four sheets will be auctioned online by Sotheby’s in London, with an estimate of £4,000-6,000 each.ĭescribing the artworks as a “monster in my cupboard”, Satrapi said it was “time to move on”. This month, the original book art from Persepolis will be sold to fund Satrapi’s next project. Photograph: Marjane Satrapi/Courtesy of Sotheby’s

A sheet of original book art from Persepolis.

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