As often as possible, Western Art Collector has highlighted Western works from illustration sales around the country. These sales almost always have fantastic examples of Western art, including images from well-known artists and illustrations from popular publications. And no auction house has focused so intently on the category as Heritage Auctions in Dallas.
Dean Cornwell (1892-1960), The Man Who Would Not Die, American magazine interior illustration, 1941, oil on canvas, 42 x 43 in. Estimate: $10/15,000
Heritage has strengthened its position in the category by recently naming Sarahjane Blum as the director of illustration art, a role that has not previously existed at the auction house. She will oversee the April 23 Illustration Art Signature Auction that will again feature works with Western themes.
Joseph Francis Kernan (1878-1958), The First Hunt of the Season, Progressive Farmer magazine cover, November 1948, oil on canvas, 28 x 22 in. Estimate: $20/30,000
“Overall we are experiencing strong growth and increased awareness within the category of illustration art. And Heritage is in a position to really connect with fine art and pop culture buyers. These are collectors who enjoy Western art, comic art, Golden Age Illustration…the category brings them all together,” Blum says. “And we believe in the category. We see a lot more people starting to think about these types of works for their collections. We see it in Western art with traditional Western material, images from Western books and magazines, cowboy books and gunslinger imagery. It’s an incredible assortment that comes through here, and all of it is really fun.”
The April 23 sale will include a magnificent Dean Cornwell scene with a complex arrangement of figures in an interior setting. The piece, The Man Who Would Not Die, was originally published as an interior illustration in a 1941 issue of Americanmagazine. It’s estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.
John Clymer (1907-1989), Children with Rowboat, Saturday Evening Post cover, October 31, 1953, oil on board, 34 x 27 in. Estimate: $150/250,000
Another artist in the sale known for his Western work is John Clymer, who did a tremendous amount of illustration work for the Saturday Evening Post. Heritage has Children with Rowboat, which was a Saturday Evening Post cover from 1953. It’s estimated at $150,000 to $250,000.
Other works include paintings by Guy Deel and James Bama that were used for paperback book covers, and a Joseph Francis Kernan image from a magazine titled Progressive Farmer. —
Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature Auction
April 23, 2024
Heritage Auctions
2801 W. Airport Freeway, Dallas, TX 75261
(877) 437-4824, www.ha.com
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