Steam Lines - The Art of Didier Graffet (preorder)

About Steam Lines

For nearly twenty years, Didier Graffet has been painting monumental cities, extraordinary machines, and dizzying architecture, nestled somewhere between the Steampunk dream and the aerodynamic elegance of the Streamline movement.

Steam Lines brings together all of this work for the first time in a retrospective art book spanning two decades of painting. Across its 328 pages, the book features about a hundred illustrations and nearly two hundred drawings, studies, and sketches, allowing readers to discover not only the finished images but also the work that preceded them. And, since Didier Graffet’s paintings are meant to be viewed on a large scale, we decided to give them a space truly befitting their size: a very large book measuring 28.5 x 38 cm.

To accompany this journey, 25 prominent figures from the worlds of illustration, science fiction, publishing, art, film, and literature agreed to share their perspectives on Didier and his work. Among them are Philippe Druillet, Jean-Michel Nicollet, Xavier Mauméjean, Samuel Le Bihan...

The result is a book that tells the story of a universe, a career and many years of creative work.

About Didier Graffet

Born in 1970 and a graduate of the École Émile Cohl in Lyon, Didier Graffet has established himself for over thirty years as one of the leading figures in French fantasy illustration.

His work has been featured at several prestigious venues and events, notably at the Utopiales in Nantes and at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in 2013. The Daniel Maghen Gallery, which has represented him for many years, also dedicated two solo exhibitions to him, in 2013 and 2016. Original works by the artist are also available for purchase at this gallery.

Through his art, Didier Graffet explores a world that is at once spectacular, poetic, and deeply imbued with a spirit of adventure. Steam Lines celebrates a prolific body of work that has become an essential part of the landscape of fantasy illustration and the art of the imagination.

Technical details

• Bilingual text (French/English)
• Large format (28.5 x 38 cm)
• 328 pages
• Art paper
• Hot foil stamping on the cover
• Hardcover
• Printed and manufactured in Europe

Practical information

• PREORDER - Shipments scheduled for spring 2027
• Carefully packaged in reinforced box
• Crowdfunding project (see the Kickstarter campaign)