DALLAS, TX – Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is legendary both for his appreciation of the female form and his timelessly sophisticated taste. With Playboy – The Art of Beauty, on the block in Dallas at Heritage on Oct. 15, a select group of lusty, irreverent original illustrations that thrilled generations of readers will be made available to discriminating art lovers around the globe.
Under Hef’s direction, Playboy magazine has introduced millions of devoted readers to some of the finest artists, illustrators and writers in the world. The Playboy – The Art of Beauty group includes first-rate works by some of Playboy’s most renowned contributors, including Alberto Vargas, LeRoy Neiman, Patrick Nagel, Gahan Wilson, Jack Cole, and Harvey Kurtzman, who is represented by four full-length, full-color Little Annie Fannie stories. Original artworks by Eldon Dedini, Erich Sokol, John Dempsey and Buck Brown also are included in this one-of-a-kind sale.
After months of deliberation, the classic works in the Playboy – The Art of Beauty collection were chosen to exemplify Playboy’s continuing celebration of feminine beauty – and tongue-in-cheek humor.
“Hef remains unsurpassed in his ability to recognize and inspire talent,” said Playboy’s art curator, Aaron Baker, who personally selected this special group of 17 sexy and humorous artworks from the Playboy magazine archives. “The pieces in this collection represent some of the most extraordinary artists that Playboy has showcased over the past half-century. Through these works, these Playboy artists offer their vision of the enduring beauty of the quintessential girl next door.”
“With Playboy -The Art of Beauty, Heritage Auction Galleries once again has been chosen to offer the best of a legendary corporate art collection to the public,” said Jared Green, Vice President of Business Development at Heritage. “Along with auctions for Random House and DC Comics, we have established a solid record of strong prices from eager buyers for the world’s most respected private corporate collections. We are honored to present this world-class selection taken directly from one of the most important venues for contemporary illustration art.”
Among the highlights of the sale will be LeRoy Neiman’s Yugoslav Nudist Camps, (est. $30,000-$35,000) and two iconic works from Alberto Vargas: Vargas Girl (est. $50,000-$60,000) and Bicentennial Girl (est. $40,000-$50,000). Kurtzman’s four complete Little Annie Fanny stories (est. $15,000-$20,000 each) are sure to excite intense interest from collectors of illustration art, comic art and fine art.
More images from Playboy – The Art of Beauty are available online to www.HA.com/Playboy. Playboy has also made an online page available with details of the collection: http://www.Playboy.com/worldofPlayboy/features/art-of-beauty/
Playboy representatives are available for media interviews. To arrange an interview, please call Elizabeth Austin at Playboy Enterprises, Inc., at (312) 373-2447 or email at [email protected].
To discuss consigning fine art, illustrations or comic art to an upcoming auction at Heritage, call Jared Green at (800) 872-8467 x 1279, or email to [email protected].
Heritage is the world’s third-largest auction house, and by far the largest auctioneer of rare collectibles, with annual sales more than $600 million, and 400,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and to join and gain access to a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, visit www.HA.com.