Illustration art is hot right now and Heritage Auctions has the results to prove it. Their April 21 Illustration Art Signature Auction at the house’s Dallas headquarters is poised to confirm the trend.
The sale will include more than 300 works that span over a century, with highlights all across the genre, from mainstream magazine and advertising from the 20th century to examples from the Golden Age of Illustration, as well fresh-to-market sci-fi/fantasy and pulp art, iconic pin-up art from the collection of Louis and Susan Meisel, and children’s book art from creators like Ludwig Bemelmans (the Madeline series), Garth Williams (Charlotte’s Web) and Arnold Lobel.
Gil Elvgren (1914-1980), Jill Needs Jack, 1950. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 in., signed lower left: ‘Elvgren’. Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection. Low estimate: $40,000
Among the top lots is Gil Elvgren’s Jill Needs Jack, a 1950 rendering of a kerchiefed woman looking up from her compact while perched on the fender of a car with a flat tire. The piece was published as a 1950 Brown & Bigelow calendar and appears in Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups by Charles G. Martignette and Louis K. Meisel (Taschen, 1999). It has a base estimate of $40,000. “In his time, Gil Elvgren was often called ‘the Norman Rockwell of pin-up,’ and along with George Petty and Alberto Vargas, has long stood as one of the most significant pin-up artists of the 20th century,” explains Sarahjane Blum, Heritage’s director of illustration art, New York. “For collectors of classic pin-up, his work is among the most sought-after, and the work featured here, which comes directly from the collection of Louis Meisel who was one of the pioneers of popularizing the collecting of original pin up art, has impeccable style and story.”
Morton Künstler (1931-2025), The Review at Moss Neck, Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray book cover, 1995. Oil on canvas, 24 x 42 in. signed and dated lower right: MKünstler ‘95 North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, “Legends in Gray: The Civil War Paintings of Mort Künstler,” September 17, 1995-January 28, 1996. Estimate: $15/25,000
James Avati (1912-2005), The Fountainhead paperback cover, 1952. Oil on Masonite, 27¼ x 23¼ in., signed lower left: ‘Avati’. The present work is published as the cover of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (Signet, 1952). Low estimate: $10,000
Another hot commodity is renowned painter of historical scenes Mort Künstler’s The Review at Moss Neck, Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray from 1995, estimated to fetch between $15,000 and $25,000. “Mort Künstler began his career as an illustrator for pulp and men’s magazines, then turning to historically accurate depictions of American history, with a specific focus on the Civil War,” says Blum. “Known for their incredible drama and poignancy, these works are tremendously sought after by collectors.” The present work was published as the cover of Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray by James I. Robertson Jr. and Mort Kunstler (Rutledge Hill Press, 1995).
James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960), I’ve Got the Biggest Supply..., Liberty magazine interior, October 27, 1934. Watercolor and pencil on board, 22¼ x 28¾ in., signed lower right: ‘James Montgomery Flagg’. From the Estate of Charles Martignette. Low estimate: $2,000
Regarding the solid and up-trending interest in the genre, Blum says, “Illustration art is the visual vernacular of culture. It reflects and challenges stories we have about ourselves in America. It’s in many ways the most American of American art, and as the influence of 20th century American culture continues to be felt, its significance is getting recognized by an increasing number of collectors—both those who passionately collect exclusively illustration, and those who find it at home in a well-rounded collection of American art.”
A public preview of selected highlights will be held at Heritage Auction’s Park Avenue showroom in New York City from April 7 to 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The April 21 Illustration Art Signature Auction will be held in Dallas, with bidders participating from all over the world via phone and the HA Live platform. —
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