
Europeans in Asterix
Asterix and Obelix may well have been the first Erasmus students ever! The indomitable Gauls went to several foreign countries: having adventures with delicate Brits, irascible Spaniards, joyful Belgians and the fearless Norse!
European share in common a huge amount of images. If we look at the most prominent painters in the world, we will notice that the majority of them comes from the old continent and that each nation has experienced a golden age in the history of art. Popular culture also circulates a certain quantity of images, such as in the comicstrips with some cases even crossing the frontiers. This section is then devoted to European images in a broader scope.
Asterix and Obelix may well have been the first Erasmus students ever! The indomitable Gauls went to several foreign countries: having adventures with delicate Brits, irascible Spaniards, joyful Belgians and the fearless Norse!
European creatures are fascinating. They can make you rich in Ireland, bring you gifts in Italy, warn you of upcoming troubles in Turkey, dig you out of an avalanche in Switzerland, protect your city in Czech Republic, or… make roosters crow in Bosnia.
They’re here to save the day. They have superpowers. They are strong and colorful. And they wear pants over their tights… Europeans also have the right to be ridiculous in very-tight superheroes’ costumes.
Naughty children face the same threat across Europe of terrifying beings coming at night to scare, kidnap or even eat them. In Spain, a hairy hand may grab their feet. In Luxembourg, a Kropemann may drown them in the bathroom…
The French are said to be snobbish, the Brits well-mannered, and the Germans hard workers. These – mostly false – stereotypes don’t really teach us much about how our European neighbours are, but they do teach us about how they are perceived.
Tintin, Asterix or Spirou are without doubt comics with international fame, and not only in Europe. But did you notice that each European country has developped over decades its own national comics art?
“Mayfair”, “Rue de la Paix”, “Schlossallee”. Every European citizen knows the name of the most expensive lot on its Monopoly board. But did you know that in Italy and Germany the street names are fictive?
When Picasso meets Turner or Delacroix, when Rembrandt appears next to Munch or Bruegel, when Klee goes with Klimt, this is the expression of a vivid common European heritage. Have a look at some of the most famous European paintings.