Illustration Art: December 15, 2022 Auction Highlights

Edward Gorey, *Papering the Tree,* cover illustration for *The New Yorker,* watercolor, graphite & ink, 1992. Estimate $20,000 to $30,000.

December’s Illustration Art sale marks ten full years of auctions since the department’s inception. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve included many of the illustrators who appeared in that first catalogue, several for whom we’ve set auction records and developed collecting interest for our buyers over the years.

Within it, you’ll find fascinating original works of narrative art from children’s books, novels and magazines; advertising art; theater, fashion, and costume design; and a fun array of cartoons, comics, and animation art. We hope you enjoy this decenary celebration sale.

Children’s Illustrations

Children’s illustrations include a famous scene from one of the favorite Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans, a lovely fairyland scene by Margaret Tarrant, and two charming W. W. Denslow “Three Bears” illustrations among a host of other favorites like Harrison Cady, Johnny Gruelle, and Maurice Sendak.

^{At Auction December 15: from left to right: Henry Justice Ford, The Princess of Babylon and the Phoenix, illustration for The Strange Story Book, watercolor, pen & ink, 1913. Estimate $3,000 to $5,000; William Wallace Denslow, two illustrations for his Three Bears, pen, ink & graphite, 1903. Estimate $5,000 to $7,500; Margaret Winifred Tarrant, Titania and Oberon, illustration for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, watercolor & ink, 1918. Estimate $4,000 to $6,000.}

Ludwig Bemelmans, *“Miss Clavel again quite well”* illustration for *Madeline’s Christmas,* ink, watercolor & collage, 1956. Estimate $50,000 to $70,000.

Advertising

Lonie Bee, *Uncle Sam enjoying a beer,* likely illustration for a Pabst Blue Ribbon billboard, oil on canvas, 1989. Estimate $2,500 to $3,500.

American & British Book and Magazine Illustration

This bountiful section includes examples by American and European Golden Age artists, including a 1904 Howard Pyle oil for a Harper’s Magazine story, a Grimm’s Fairy tale illustration by Arthur Rackham, an unusual 1938 advertisement illustration for Kentucky bourbon by Norman Rockwell, and canvases by Dean Cornwell.

^{At Auction December 15: left: John Vassos, “Food,” illustration for his book Humanities, gouache & ink, 1935. Estimate $5,000 to $7,500; right: Frederic Varady, “His And Hers Towels Put To Use,” illustration for the cover of Collier’s magazine, gouache, 1953. Estimate $3,000 to $4,000.}

Rockwell Kent, *“And then, without more ado, sat quietly down there.”* illustration for *Moby Dick,* pen & ink, 1930. Estimate $7,000 to $10,000.

^{At Auction December 15: from left to right: James Montgomery Flagg, “This was the way we all dressed in 1923!” illustration likely for Good Housekeeping, watercolor, circa 1923. Estimate $4,000 to $6,000; Howard Pyle, “The Drawing of the Sword,” illustration for Harper’s magazine, oil on canvas, 1904. Estimate $20,000 to $30,000; Arthur Rackham, “The beggar took her hand and led her away,” illustration for King Thrushbeard, watercolor, pen, ink & graphite, 1920. Estimate $8,000 to $12,000.}

Theatre, Costume & Fashion

A robust section of Stage, Costume, and Fashion boasts designs by the late scenic designer Tony Walton, Al Hirschfeld’s drawing of the Broadway hit “A Little Night Music” signed by Hal Prince, Stephen Sondheim, the cast, and crew, and a large, colorful painting by Cecil Beaton of Katharine Hepburn starring in her only stage musical, as fashion icon Coco Chanel.

**At Auction December 15:** left: Al Hirschfeld, *“A Little Night Music,”* ink on board, signed by the entire cast & crew, 1973. Estimate $20,000 to $30,000; right: Cecil Beaton, *Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel,* costume design for the Broadway musical *“Coco,”* watercolor & gouache, 1969. Estimate $4,000 to $6,000.

Cartoons, Comics & Animation including The New Yorker

The always fun section of Comics, Cartoons, Animation, and Caricature includes Charles Addams, Garry Trudeau, Roz Chast, Rick Meyerowitz, George Booth, and Ed Sorel. The sale ends with the ever-popular sub-category of The New Yorker, crowned by an extraordinary Christmas cover image by Edward Gorey, the only cover for that magazine published in his lifetime.