Auction Highlights: Illustration Art — December 12, 2024

At Auction Thursday, December 12 at 12:00 PM ET

The December Illustration Art auction offers an array of iconic works spanning magazine illustrations, book art, animation, and more. Highlights include Saturday Evening Post covers by legendary illustrators J.C. Leyendecker and Joseph Francis Kernan; a rare, previously unseen Harper’s Bazaar cover proposal by Danish artist Kay Nielsen; and two charming Christmas-themed illustrations by Douglas Crockwell.

We’re thrilled to present a selection of rare treasures, such as a drawing by Aubrey Beardsley from the collection of Oscar Wilde; three exquisite costume designs by Arnold Friberg for Cecil B. DeMille’s cinematic epic The Ten Commandments; and a pristine book illustration by Howard Chandler Christy for The Dolly Dialogues.

Animation art is represented by an assortment of beloved subjects, including works from Disney features, Garfield, Bloom County, and more. Notable highlights are an original production cel from the holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, featuring Charlie Brown in his red coat and hunter’s cap, as well as a cel setup featuring Cruella DeVil from the Disney classic 101 Dalmatians.

The sale also boasts vibrant illustrations from books, calendars, record albums, postcards, newspapers, and mid-century paperback covers. Cover illustrations are represented by the “Good Girl Art” of Raymond Johnson, and classic western novel art by Everett Raymond Kinstler. Children’s book art by renowned illustrators like Norman P. Hall, Trina Schart Hyman, Marilee Heyer, and others adds further richness to this exceptional offering.

Joseph Francis Kerna, Dog Bath, oil on canvas, cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, January 13, 1934. Estimate $40,000 to $60,000.
Joseph Christian Leyendecker, Shoo Chickens!, oil on canvas, study illustration for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, June 2, 1923.
Kay Nielse, Unpublished cover illustration for Harper’s Bazar, watercolour, pen, ink, and heightened gold on board, 1915. Estimate $10,000 to $15,000.
Spencer Douglass Crockwell, Advertising illustration for The Christmas Club, A Corporation, oil on board, 1966. Estimate $5,000 to $7,000.
Arnold Friberg, Costume design for The Ten Commandments, mixed media including watercolor, 1956. Estimate $4,000 to $6,000.
Howard Chandler Christy, Interior book illustration for The Dolly Dialogues, charcoal on board, 1901. $4,000-6,000.
Charles Schulz and Bill Melenedez, Original production animation cel setup from A Charlie Brown Christmas, acrylic, 1965. Estimate $4,000 to $6,000.
Raymond Johnson, Paperback book cover illustration for I Can Get it for you Wholesale, oil on board, 1955. Estimate $800 to $1,200.
Norman P. Hall, Interior book illustration for The Wonder Hill or The Marvelous Rescue of Prince Iota, gouache on board, 1914. Estimate $1,000 to $1,500.

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