Gil Elvgren pin-up illustration sold for $ 286 thousand Automatic translate

The illustration “The Merry Nymph” (1947) by Gil Elvgren, sold for $ 286,800, set a new world record for value for the artist’s work, several times breaking his pre-auction estimate of $ 60,000.

The next stage of the Heritage Auctions auction, held in New York on May 4, 2011, once again proved the depth, power and attractiveness of the Charles Martignette Collection of Illustration Art. Jill Elvgren’s “Merry Nymph” became the top auction lot, bringing $ 286,800 to the auction - a record price for the artist’s work - with an estimate of $ 60,000. In total, the Heritage Auction raised $ 3.4 million during the auction of illustration art. All prices include a 19.5% premium to the buyer.

Gil Elvgren - Gay Nimph (1947)

“Collectors, of course, have an idea of ​​the quality and rarity of the artworks for sale,” said Ed Juster, senior vice president of Heritage Auction. “The record price paid for Elvgren’s work testifies to this as well as possible.” A completely naked nature is not typical for the artist’s work and is extremely rare in his works, which is why these works are so desirable for collectors. "The Merry Nymph" is undoubtedly one of Elvgren’s best works, and the amount earned for the painting is a clear proof of this. "

The struggle for 394 lots presented at the auction was between 1112 participants, only a part of which were in the hall. The rest were bidding by phone, the Internet, and also using pre-bids made by e-mail and regular mail. As a result, we managed to achieve a record 99.16% margin, which is an exceptional indicator even for Heritage Auction standards.

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874-1951) - Lovebirds, The House of Kuppenheimer Style Book advertising

The lovers’s advertising diptych by American illustrator Joseph Christian Leyendecker, written by the artist for The House of Kuppenheimer Style Book fashion album in the fall and winter of 1918-1919, was bought during a lively auction for $ 155,350, which was undeniable evidence of the significance and relevance of Leidendecker’s work.

“The results of the auction once again confirmed Leyendecker’s demand in the international art market as one of the brightest representatives of the genre, along with such big names as Elvgren and Rockwell,” said Todd Heinit, Director of Supply for Heritage. “When it comes to the Golden Age of illustration, it’s hard to name works comparable to Leyendecker’s diptychs in terms of quality of work and aroused interest, which, in fact, determines the high prices for the artist’s work achieved during the auction.”

However, the favorite of the evening, of course, was Jill Elvgren, whose five works took pride of place in the top ten auction lots. The magnificent Elgrin quintet included: “Denise” (Denise - Pur-r-rty Pair), 1960, from the collection of Charles Martignett, who went under the hammer for $ 119,500; Sharp Curves (1960), also from the Martignett collection, sold for $ 83,650; "Rare pleasure" (Barbecutie - Rare Treat), 1964, the value of which during the auction reached $ 55,269 and, finally, "Beat That!", 1953, bought for $ 53,775.

Gil Elvgren (1914-1980) - Denise (Pur-r-rty Pair), 1960

Past tenders also showed a demand for the work of Hugh Joseph Ward, an illustrator of the so-called pulp magazines (cheap mass media). His wonderful illustration for the cover of Mrs. Big’s detective novel, published in Super Detective Magazine - another rare exhibit from the collection of Charles Martignett - went under the hammer for $ 66.825 with an estimate of $ 10,000.

Record marks have reached the value of works by masters of the pin-up genre Elbert Mack Gren and Edward Runchi. The amount earned for Mac Gren’s work “Jackson’s Winter and Spring”, which was published on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on March 10, 1928, exceeded the value of all previous lots by the artist and reached $ 35,850, and the charming “Pin-up girl in a colorful bikini” Edward Runchy was acquired by one of the collectors for $ 33,460, far surpassing his $ 5,000 pre-auction price.

The work of another representative of the pin-up genre Alberto Vargas, always remaining a welcome acquisition for collectors around the world, appeared closer to the end of the auction and was sold at a price exceeding the estimate. $ 32,265 was obtained for Vargas’s Esquire-Era Pin-Up drawing, written by him in 1943 for the American Esquire magazine, and the magnificent “Sitting Nude”, created during the heyday of the artist’s creative activity, left a hammer for $ 31,070.

“Record trading results achieved in almost all key categories showed the great interest of collectors in all illustration genres, from drawings for mainstream publications to illustrations and covers for cheap softcover reading, as well as pin-up genres and many other styles illustration art, ”summed up the auction, Ed Juster.

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