Phil de Rodrigue sets the capital alight with his drawings of Parisiennes and illustrations of social events. To have a work by this unique and charming man is to gain entry to a closed club. A look back at an atypical career.
And the magic happened! For his exhibition “Les Parisiennes”, Victor Philip, aka “Phil de Rodrigue”, gathered a few friends, admirers and curious onlookers at the restaurant “La Petite Place” in the Marais at the end of January. But it is rather a large place that his models and fans have in their hearts for the man who listens to them and sublimates their image.
With his beautiful pencil strokes, Phil de Rodrigue creates a graphic universe for each woman he meets, highlighting her personality.
That evening, the spotlight was on Nadia Gaieva, who is known for her elegance, but above all for the cause she defends as a lawyer: peace between Russia and Ukraine. A very topical subject!
What is a Parisienne? Phil de Rodrigue answers this question without hesitation: “Above all, it’s a state of mind, even if the Parisienne is not of French origin. She is intelligent, chic, seductive. She has a strong personality, she is free, even rebellious.”
Phil de Rodrigue draws inspiration from her contemporaries, most of whom are unknown. But there are also a few celebrities who are actresses, writers, designers, businesswomen, prima ballerinas, etc. In total, around a hundred people have benefited from the nuances of the artist’s palette: Cyrielle Clair, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Amandine Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Sylvana Lorenz, Vanessa Feuillatte, Anne Eyer, but also a few men including Jean Todt, Douglas Kennedy, David Rockefeller and his wife Susan …
“It’s often a case of love at first sight! I don’t make portraits, I tell a story. This requires a dialogue in which the model tells me about herself and her passions. From there, I construct an imaginary environment into which I pour all my skill, my sensitivity, even my soul.”
Comic strips and science fiction
But how did Victor Philip become an illustrator of Parisiennes in the tradition of illustrious predecessors such as Kiraz, Sempé and René Gruau?
“From the age of five, I was drawing. I loved to draw soldiers attacking castles! I think I already had a sense of perspective at the time,” says the amused forty-something, born in Bordeaux to a military father and a florist mother. The youngest of the family – with a brother in the military and a sister who is a literature teacher – Victor was inspired by both military exploits and the beautiful texts of French literature. He grew up in a traditional, Catholic environment and appreciated its values, which guided him throughout his sometimes perilous adventures.
The young man studied applied arts and computer science at the University of Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, then did his military service in the Air Force in Cazaux.
He started a professional activity with an architect for whom he made models presenting his future projects.
In 2012, he joined Ubisoft, the French family business that has become one of the world leaders in video games. Victor Philip excelled there and now acts as Artistic Advisor to the General Management. “The creation of a new video game requires significant investment. It is therefore necessary to take a critical look at each project within a multidisciplinary team beforehand,” he explains, discreet about this aspect of his professional life.
Immersed in the world of comics and science fiction, Phil de Rodrigue finds his style and refines it over the years. He has his favorite authors among the stars. He cites Edgar Pierre Jacobs (Blake and Mortimer), Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon), Hergé (The Adventures of Tintin), Burne Hogarth (Tarzan), and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball).
He got caught up in the game and created his own comic strip, “The Adventures of Gontran and Roland Dandar”, which tells the story of two brothers who are both magicians and knights of fortune who come to the aid of people in danger. “Three albums are waiting for a publisher,” the author whispers to us.
His characters seem to come straight out of a comic strip, like Jean Todt, the former director of the Ferrari Formula 1 team. With his rocket stamped FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the former French rally co-driver thinks he will be at his appointments more quickly. A tight schedule and punctuality are his obsessions.
Jean Todt , 79, always has his foot on the gas. He is currently the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and travels to 40 countries a year. He has had almost everything. Honors, love, beautiful toys… How can anyone still surprise him? “One day, his secretary called me because she wanted to give him a drawing for his birthday,” says Phil de Rodrigue. “Since then, I’ve learned that the comic strip is on the wall of his office…”
Paris, the city of his heart
For the past ten years or so, Phil de Rodrigue has been making infidelities to Bordeaux to live in Paris, his city of the heart. “It is both a romantic city and a city where you work, where you are on the move. Sometimes it is inhuman because the pace is so hectic. But it is here that I draw my inspiration from,” he tells us.
This unique and charming man seems to live in another century. “I would have preferred to have been 20 in the 60s,” he admits. “It was modernism and a joyful era full of a bright future.”
He loves history, literature, cinema and painting. He draws inspiration from works of the past to bring allegories to his creations. At least four or five times a month, he strolls through the great halls of the Louvre. He stands before paintings by Philippe de Champaigne, Nicolas Poussin and Ingres. He meditates, reflects. “Here, I feel at home,” he tells us during a personal guided tour that will remain memorable. Phil de Rodrigue is a fountain of knowledge!
If he does stroll, it is towards the Musée d’Orsay, the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries. But also on the Boulevard du Moulin Rouge where he frequents the bookshops. He enjoys strolling through the Serres d’Auteuil or Passy with the Eiffel Tower in the background. It is in front of Gustave Eiffel’s building that Phil de Rodrigue immortalizes marriage proposals. In general, it is the groom-to-be who has the idea of commissioning a drawing through the wedding planner Kiss Me In Paris.
Yasmine Murat appears in the artwork “L’épopée de la Gloire” with her husband, Joachim Murat, the seventh generation descendant of Marshal Murat and his wife Caroline Bonaparte, sister of Emperor Napoleon I. Joachim Murat does not hesitate to display his convictions and to say: “Thinking about Napoleon is like getting a vitamin boost. It should be reimbursed by the social security!”
“Les temporalités féminines” (Women’s Temporalities), the gallery of muses by Phil de Rodrigue
Our illustrator has a particular affection for women writers. He has thus illustrated Countess Caroline Von Krockow, a novelist and horse-riding enthusiast. She is the author of “La broche bleue” and “La rose blanche”.
“You clear the obstacles, ever higher, ever stronger with style and panache! We think you are frivolous, we think you are nonchalant, we don’t really know you,” Phil de Rodrigue whispers to his model. ”Like all people of quality, you have nothing to prove, just to surprise with your tenacity, because it is the distance traveled that makes the champion!”
The diptych presenting Caroline Von Krockow is part of the series “Les temporalités féminines”, that is to say the illustration of some twenty muses who have inspired Phil de Rodrigue. Each drawing tells a story in an allegorical and poetic, even musical way.
Supermodel and young actress Koukla Lapidus was the subject of Phil de Rodrigue’s pencil stroke for Les Temporalités féminines. She is the granddaughter of Ted Lapidus, son of a Russian immigrant tailor, who founded his fashion house in 1951. Koukla (which means “doll” in Greek) has appeared in several films including “Un destin inattendu” by Sonia Rolland, released in 2024.
Phil de Rodrigue points out that his tools are quite simple: a 300-gram sheet of paper, a pencil or a 2B graphite lead, gouache paints and a Bic pen to underline the lines, comic-strip style. But this is in addition to many hours of work. “My reward is that the people who have commissioned a drawing from me are very happy!”
A whirlwind of social events
Phil de Rodrigue loves people. He is always in a good mood, even on the gloomiest of days. His elegance, culture and humor make him a sought-after friend. Those who have been sketched by the artist meet at an exhibition opening or a party and immediately feel a connection. Owning a work by Phil de Rodrigue is like joining a closed club.
Cyrielle Clair was a member of the jury for the 6th edition of the Prize for Best Sound Creation, which took place during the last Cannes Film Festival. The Prize was unanimously awarded to the film “Armand” by Norwegian director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
The next edition of the Prix de Diane Longines at the Chantilly Racecourse will take place on June 15, 2025. A highly anticipated annual event!
In a garden party atmosphere, our talented illustrator draws with his pencil the women of the world wearing glamorous outfits and chic hats. At the end of the day, it is time to crown the lucky winners of the Concours d’Elégance.
Could Phil de Rodrigue be the new Kiraz of Parisian women?
The times they are a-changing. Our illustrator brings a less “naked” touch than his famous predecessor (influenced by May 68), even if some drawings are sometimes naughty. He remains in a preppy, poetic and benevolent register.
Has your curiosity been piqued? You can discover other works by Phil de Rodrigue on his Instagram account.
Phil de Rodrigue is available on + 33 (0)6 42 09 82 92
Drawings can be ordered from 350 euros
Read also > Sleeping Glass Beauty: Sigrid de Montrond gives new life to antique Murano chandeliers
Featured Photo: “I don’t do portraits, but I tell a story”, Phil de Rodrigue with lawyer Nadia Gaieva who is fighting for peace between Russia and Ukraine. ©Corine Moriou
