5 years ago today, The Godfather of Fantasy Art, Frank Frazetta set a world record. His beautiful painting "Egyptian Queen" sold for more than $5 million dollars. Mr. Frazetta created many pieces of iconic fantasy art during his life including a piece called The Barbarian, which first appeared on the cover of a 1966 short story collection, Conan the Adventurer.
The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta is the first volume in a great series of books about Frazetta and his work. If you haven't seen the 2003 documentary Frazetta: Painting with Fire it's worth finding a copy.
The following is the 2019 official press release announcing Mr. Frazetta's world record:
Heritage Auctions Press Release - May 16, 2019
Egyptian Queen by Artist Frank Frazetta Sets $5.4 Million World Record at Heritage Auctions
Dallas, Texas (May 16, 2019)
The 1969 fantasy painting Egyptian Queen, one of the most legendary artworks by famed artist Frank Frazetta, sold for a world record $5.4 million Thursday, May 16, at a public auction of vintage comic books and comic art held by Heritage Auctions in Chicago, Illinois.
The painting bests the world record as the most expensive piece of original comic book art ever sold at public auction. The previous record was the $1.79 million paid for Frazetta's Death Dealer 6, 1990, which was set by Heritage in May 2018.
The masterpiece is credited more than any other with revolutionizing fantasy illustration in American art. Egyptian Queen first appeared in print as the cover for Eerie magazine #23 in mid-1969, and as multiple prints and posters over subsequent decades.
The winning bidder does not wish to be identified at this time.
The painting has been in the possession of Frazetta's family ever since it was created 50 years ago, and Thursday was the first time it was made available for private ownership in Heritage Auctions' Comics & Comic Art Auction. In addition to a world record, the painting also set a house record as the most expensive item ever sold by Heritage Auctions, surpassing a luxury Dallas estate, which closed for $4.95 million in 2016.
"This result elevates Frank Frazetta's art into the stratosphere of visual narrative art on a par with the likes of Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish and other luminaries," Heritage Auctions Vice President Todd Hignite said.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has over one million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of four million past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit.
Eric Bradley, Director, Public Relations
214-409-1871; EricB@HA.com
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