Ronald Searle: "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines"

What is one to do when a fantastic illustration comes along but it is offered at a stratospheric price? As might be expected, the artwork receives no bids, and when the item is relisted the price slowly begins to drop--but not nearly enough to elicit any bidding activity. At some point, one expects, the price may be lowered to a reasonable level and find a buyer, but the owner, who turns 100 during this time period, decides he would rather keep it hanging on his wall than drop the price any further.

That's what happened to a terrific illustration by Ronald Searle from the title sequence of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (Twentieth Century Fox, 1965). Initially offered in the $18,000 to $20,000 price range, it subsequently failed to sell for $13,000 to $17,000 and has not been relisted. Sale prices for Searle illustrations occasionally may reach this range, but it is far from the norm.

Ronald Searle, Title Sequence Illustration, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes, Twentieth Century Fox, 1965 





April 2, 2013 Original eBay Listing Price



May 9, 2013 Final eBay Listing Price
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RONALD-SEARLE-ORIGINAL-WATERCOLOR-LARGE-Those-Mag-Men-In-Flying-Machines-MOVIE-/140971264207?ViewItem=&ssPageName=ADME%3AB%3ASS%3AUS%3A1123&item=140971264207&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557







Ronald Searle, Title Sequence Illustration, "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes," Twentieth Century Fox, 1965
[End of eBay Listing]


Ronald Searle, Bill Richardson, and Allen Andrews. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (London:  Dennis Dobson, 1965), Pages 22-23



Elmo Williams:  A Hollywood Memoir (2006)
Mr. Williams is the owner of this artwork.


Note:  As I've been writing, a major exhibition of Ronald Searle's reportage work for the American market is coming to San Francisco this fall. The eBay fundraiser for the "Searle in America" exhibition can be viewed here.

The Searle in America blog can be seen here.

Perpetua, the Ronald Searle tribute blog, is right here.


In addition to all this, my own Ronald Searle posts are right here. Happy reading.

0832
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Ronald Searle: The Day the Truth Got Out

I've been following cartoonist Ronald Searle's work dutifully, even obsessively, for more than 35 years now and there are still countless published drawings I've never seen. On eBay, this undated (but apparently 1953) supplement to the April-May Lilliput has just been sold. The price isn't bad but the 15 GBP international shipping seemed a bit excessive to me. The good news is that of the six published Searle drawings, the seller has included two of them in his listing. This is how eBay sellers make the world a better place, well, one of the ways.

Ronald Searle, "The Day the Truth Got Out," The First Long Story by Patrick Campbell,
Spring Supplement to Lilliput, April-May (1953)

Ronald Searle, "The Day the Truth Got Out," by Patrick Campbell,
Spring Supplement to Lilliput, April-May (1953), Inside Front Cover and Page 1




Note:  As I've already mentioned in recent posts, a major showing of Ronald Searle's reportage work is coming to San Francisco. The exciting eBay fundraiser for the forthcoming "Searle in America" exhibition can be viewed here.

The Searle in America blog is here.

Perpetua, the Ronald Searle tribute blog, is here.


In addition to all this, my own Searle posts are all here.

0831
Labels: , , , , , ,

I Dream of Siri

I spend a lot of time composing these blog posts, of course, but I believe I am now ready for some new technology to come into its own. Here's how I foresee myself embracing the latest blogging software in the not-too-distant future:


"'Evening, Siri."

     "Good evening, Doc."

"What do I have on my schedule?"

     "You have a benefit tonight for the eradication of hunger, disease, and poverty."

"All three, eh? But not ignorance? Anyway, it sounds as if it's a very good cause. But I am a bit sluggish this evening. Instead, I think I'll simply stay home and work on tomorrow's blog post with you. Any ideas for it, Siri?"

     "Here is a list of today's top news stories. Would you like me to turn it into a concise but powerful blog post for you?"

"Your help would be appreciated, as always. But I was thinking we might do something a little, well, lighter for tomorrow. You know, use a humorous illustration or drawing, something like that."

     "Do you have any original content, Doc?"

"Siri, by now you should know better than to ask me that. Let's just find something amusing on eBay. Then you can fluff it up a bit with some choice writing."

     "Doc, I have 26,451 humorous drawings on eBay."

"Any really funny ones?"

     "OK, I have a very funny one. There's this man and a woman and a cat."

"Great! Now compose something insightful or clever and we're done."

     "Very good, Doc. I'll post it tomorrow on the blog."

"Not too wordy now."

     "Of course not."

"Just a touch of sarcasm would be all right."

     "As you wish."

"Good. Phew! That was a lot of work, Siri. Now, have you come up with anything for the Cartoon Caption Contest this week?"

     "I'm still working on that one, Doc."

0830
Labels: , , , ,

Ronald Searle Roller Skater

Right now there's a lot of interest in the reportage work of Ronald Searle. An exhibition of the artist's original illustrations for Holiday magazine and for the American market in general is slated to open this November in San Francisco and should be brilliant. To help raise funds for this project, including shipping vintage Searle illustrations to San Francisco and producing an exhibition catalogue, many prominent animators have contributed original works of art inspired by Searle. There are currently multiple such works listed on eBay as well as a couple of German fountain pens that belonged to Searle himself and were donated to the auction by his estate.

There was, of course, a whimsical side to Searle's artwork as well. For example, this lithograph of an uninhibited roller skater is from the 1970 suite Meilleurs Voeux [Best Wishes] published by Michel Cassé, Paris. The suite consisted of five small lithographs trimmed from the usual 50 x 65 cm sheet and published in a numbered edition of 200 for the Galerie La Pochade in Paris. An additional seven were set aside for the printer and there were ten artist's proofs numbered in Roman numerals. The set of lithographs is Gurlitt no. 72 in the catalogue which erroneously gives the date of 1971 for the suite. The black-and-white 1971 catalogue illustrations as well as this eBay listing both support the 1970 date.

Ronald Searle, Meilleurs Voeux, 1970, 106/200, Gurlitt (1971) No. 72 (5)

Ronald Searle, Meilleurs Voeux, 1970, 106/200, Gurlitt (1971) No. 72 (5)

Ronald Searle Signature

Ronald Searle, Meilleurs Voeux, 1970, 106/200, Gurlitt (1971) No. 72 (5) Detail


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ronald-Searle-original-lithograph-1970-numbered-hand-signed-in-pencil-/111035564865?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Ronald Searle, Meilleurs Voeux, 1970, 106/200, Gurlitt (1971) No. 72 (5)





Note:  All the animators' original artwork and other items up for bidding on eBay to raise funds for the "Searle in America" exhibition can be viewed here.

The Searle in America blog is here.

Perpetua, the Ronald Searle tribute blog, is here.


My own Searle posts are all here.

0829
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Eric Goldberg: After "Aladdin..."

Animator Eric Goldberg conceived the Genie in Disney's "Aladdin" (1992) in the style of illustrator Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld's lines are typically flowing and smooth and this style blended well with Genie's many transformations. A few original drawings of the Genie by Supervising Animator Eric Goldberg are currently available on eBay. Two of them are left-facing profiles with different expressions. The first appears somewhat devious.

Eric Goldberg, Genie in Profile from Disney's "Aladdin"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ERIC-GOLDBERG-ALADDIN-ANIMATOR-SIGNED-GENIE-SKETCH-DRAWING-w-PROOF-AUTOGRAPH-/321059796394?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac0a7b5aa 

Eric Goldberg



Another comes with a more excited expression.


Eric Goldberg, Genie in Profile from Disney's "Aladdin"


http://www.ebay.com/itm/ERIC-GOLDBERG-AUTO-ALADDIN-SIGNED-GENIE-SKETCH-ANIMATOR-DIREC-TOR-PSA-DNA-COA-/400307042574?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d3428b90e



Eric Goldberg is one of many animators who contributed work inspired by Searle to a fundraiser for the forthcoming "Searle in America" exhibition to be held later this year at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. How extraordinary, then, to discover this large pen-and-ink drawing of the Genie After "Aladdin..." executed in the style of Ronald Searle. Compared with the simple souvenir profiles of the Genie, it is a tour-de-force. Compared with the flowing lines of Hirschfeld, the lines are nervous and bold. So far, the price is quite reasonable. I don't know whether drawings of this caliber by Goldberg have appeared on the market in the past, but this is clearly a remarkable illustration of a sort not likely ever to be repeated.

It is a paradox that animators spend their days drawing, yet very little of their work comes to the market. The current eBay "Searle in America" sales offer the opportunity to bid on the finished work of dozens of today's foremost animators. It's my distinct impression that cartoonists inspired by Searle invariably create some of their best work.

Eric Goldberg, After "Aladdin..." in the Manner of Ronald Searle

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-drawing-by-Eric-Goldberg-13-x-17-/271248966252?pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item3f27b2c26c


"Friend Like Me"
Robin Williams
Walt Disney's "Aladdin" (1992)


Eric Goldberg, After "Aladdin..." in the Manner of Ronald Searle


August 5, 2013 Update:  Sold!
Image added August 5, 2013















Note:  The eBay auction for Eric Goldberg's After "Aladdin..." is here.

All the items up for bidding to raise funds for the "Searle in America" exhibition can be seen here.

The Searle in America blog is here.

0828
Labels: , , , , , , ,