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The painting that introduced “Star Wars” to the world nearly 50 years ago — and was reproduced in an iconic movie poster — sold for $3.875 million at auction Wednesday.
Artist and movie poster designer Tom Jung’s acrylic and airbrush paintings first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, less than two weeks before the space epic was produced. george lucas Opened. It also adorned billboards, magazine advertisements and theater programs.
“for most AmericaIt was the first time they got a glimpse of a galaxy far, far away,” said Charles Epting, director of the pop culture and historical consignment. Heritage Auction,
“Star Wars” creator Gary Kurtz kept the original painting and hung it on his office wall before giving it to his daughter. The Kurtz family later put the work up for sale. dallas The headquarters of Heritage Auctions, where bidding started at $1 million.
The sale set a record for the largest sale of film franchise memorabilia and any film poster artwork in general, Epting said. The buyer, whose winning bid came through the website, has chosen to keep his identity private.
Previously, the highest price for franchise memorabilia was Darth Vader’s lightsaber which sold at auction for $3.6 million.
“Star Wars” has been one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time since its debut in 1977, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. The original was followed by sequels and prequels, and offshoot books, films, and other series. Its fans are spread all over the world.
One side of the painting shows Skywalker holding a lightsaber behind Princess Leia. darth vader Hovering over them in the background. On the other hand, a team of X-wing starfighters are launching an attack. Han Solo and Skywalker are depicted receiving medals.
In the lower right corner are R2-D2 and C-3PO, which were added at the last minute, Epting said. The droids are absent from early reproductions of the painting and later appeared during the production of film posters and billboards. Epting said the exact date of the latter is unknown but it was around June or July 1977.
“You can see the evolution of the piece and how they were figuring out what was important to include, what we were going to represent, what people were going to be attracted to,” Epting said.
The painting is not just a movie memorabilia, Epting said, but also a cultural artifact and part of American history. People’s emotional connection with the “Star Wars” movies also helps explain the sales price, he said.
Epting said, “Anyone who has seen these movies or the marketing material around them – you watch this piece, your heart starts skipping a beat.”