Giant auction of mid-century magazine illustration in Beverly Hills

Heritage Auction Galleries is previewing paintings from "the epic Charles Martignette Estate," which will be sold at auction on Thursday, May 6 in Beverly Hills, CA.

The current bid on Gil Elvgren's 1962 Bear Facts (above) is $100,000 (not including the 19.5% buyer's premium). There are also paintings by Rockwell, Petty, Finlay, Bolles, St. John, Vargas, Leyendecker, and Frazetta.

Lot viewing is available Monday, May 3 through Wednesday, May 5, 10am-5pm PT.

2010 May Signature Illustration Art Auction - Beverly Hills, CA.

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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coaxial

I love that the auction house boasts that it’s “the world’s third largest auction house.” Third largest? Geez.
Ian_McLoud

An ex-girlfriend’s mom gave me a large (11″x17″?) print of this as a gift. I framed it and hung it in my room(s) during high school and college.

I now wonder
a) where is it?
b) is it at my parents house?
c) is it worth a fraction of $100k? :)

Probably not, but I’d like it back to hang in my ::cough:: mancave :::cough::: (and the other three framed similar ones)!
- Eicos
  
  Mrs. Robinson, is that you?
an0nymous

is… is that bear giving me a sexy come hither look?
- proletariat
  
  is… is that bear giving me a sexy come hither look?
  
  It doesn’t help that it’s dressed like a whore.
Teller

Photography really messed with a good thing. Thanks, Mark.
igpajo

Just look at the look on that bear’s face! Just look at it!
dross1260

If you hate Coca-Cola, buy.
Still can’t find Norman Rockwell’s farner/wife nudging painting back to Cowgirl on post. Did Rockwell collect calendars from others?
jeligula

I like trying to guess which blogger posted before opening the quick link in Yahoo! Got this one.

@dross1260 I gotta say that I like Coke, but my soft drink preferences have nothing to do with the fact that I cannot outbid $100,000. Maybe I could bid for an illustration off a toothpick box for $36.99. Plus buyer’s premium, of course. Cash or cashier’s check only.
Zergonapal

It just goes to show that old-school porn is still great… if somewhat weird. My god that polar bear is hawt :D
bat21

Charles Martignette had good taste. He collected what he liked instead of what was fashionable.
Rich Keller

Is that a smiling polar bear rug or one of those flat-packed samoyeds IKEA’s been selling lately?
jimh

ROWR
Rick.

Such convenient viewing hours. -sigh-