Frazetta Painting Sells for $1.5 million

[plasticide-migration]

You guys are high

[Senormac]

But Frank was a master of capturing the action in mid stride...... Boris , eh

[rednalsram]

Prove me wrong: post a photo he took for his commissioned work.

 

 

Frazetta never photographed any subject matter.

 

wrong

[arexcrooke]

You guys are high

No, we are expressing an opinion.

I think his art is difficult to look at, un-enjoyable, and not pleasing in any way shape or form.

People can talk about how great his art is, and while it takes skill to do what he does, it looks like a horses rear end to me and I would just as soon look at a 1st graders finger painting than his junk.

[jimjum12]

Prove me wrong: post a photo he took for his commissioned work.

 

 

Frazetta never photographed any subject matter.

 

wrong

 

In the book "Living Legend" there is a shot of Frazetta posing for reference for his "Gauntlet" movie poster. If I can find my copy I'll post it. When he did use photos for reference, I have read that it was usually either him or Ellie as the model. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[delekkerste]

Prove me wrong: post a photo he took for his commissioned work.

 

 

Frazetta never photographed any subject matter.

 

wrong

 

In the book "Living Legend" there is a shot of Frazetta posing for reference for his "Gauntlet" movie poster. If I can find my copy I'll post it. When he did use photos for reference, I have read that it was usually either him or Ellie as the model. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

You are right. It is a total fiction that Frazetta never photographed any subject matter. Look at "Carson of Venus" in the "Icon" book - bam, photo of Frank posing as Tarzan pictured on that page. Or page 148 of "Testament" showing him posing over a fallen Al Williamson. I recall reading about Frank using one of his daughters as reference for some piece he did in the 1970s. I think it's fair to say that he didn't rely on photo-reference, but to say he never used photos or models is inaccurate.

[Larryw7]

There a few pictures of Frazetta using Jerry DeFuccio and himself as models in Grant Geismann's TALES OF TERROR. Frazetta is the spitting image of the "hero" in his famous Squeeze Play story in Shock Suspense #13.

[plasticide-migration]

Prove me wrong: post a photo he took for his commissioned work.

 

 

Frazetta never photographed any subject matter.

 

wrong

 

In the book "Living Legend" there is a shot of Frazetta posing for reference for his "Gauntlet" movie poster. If I can find my copy I'll post it. When he did use photos for reference, I have read that it was usually either him or Ellie as the model. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

You are right. It is a total fiction that Frazetta never photographed any subject matter. Look at "Carson of Venus" in the "Icon" book - bam, photo of Frank posing as Tarzan pictured on that page. Or page 148 of "Testament" showing him posing over a fallen Al Williamson. I recall reading about Frank using one of his daughters as reference for some piece he did in the 1970s. I think it's fair to say that he didn't rely on photo-reference, but to say he never used photos or models is inaccurate.

 

Frazetta fans know that Frank was a camera nut, and owned a whole bunch of them (hundreds?). He used them in his craft as a whole, not necessarily copying directly from the pictures.

[plasticide-migration]

You guys are high

No, we are expressing an opinion.

I think his art is difficult to look at, un-enjoyable, and not pleasing in any way shape or form.

People can talk about how great his art is, and while it takes skill to do what he does, it looks like a horses rear end to me and I would just as soon look at a 1st graders finger painting than his junk.

 

Oh, I understand. I get the same reaction when I say that Schomburg was a terrible artist or Eisner was/is overrated. But I still say you're baked in this case. My opinion, of course.

 

(I'm so glad I went to the Frazetta Museum before all that has happened (thumbs u )

[Aman619]

Frazetta is an Impressionist in use of shape and color compared to Boris who is more of the Rockwell of fantasy art. Boris was concerned with detail, lighting abd realism. Frazetta can draw realistically, but is more interested in the looseness and volume and atmosphere and spatial elements. Boris work is like itightly rendered ndividual figures or pieces placed together in from of bursty bkgnds.

 

After you get over the eye catching realism of Boris work, they get boring. Frazetts keep revealing more layers, more brushwork and sensuality. kinda like Playboy and Penthouse. Is more reality always better? Playboy shot pinups. Guccione turned on the lights and showed you reality.

[delekkerste]

Frazetta is an Impressionist in use of shape and color compared to Boris who is more of the Rockwell of fantasy art. Boris was concerned with detail, lighting abd realism. Frazetta can draw realistically, but is more interested in the looseness and volume and atmosphere and spatial elements. Boris work is like itightly rendered ndividual figures or pieces placed together in from of bursty bkgnds.

 

After you get over the eye catching realism of Boris work, they get boring. Frazetts keep revealing more layers, more brushwork and sensuality. kinda like Playboy and Penthouse. Is more reality always better? Playboy shot pinups. Guccione turned on the lights and showed you reality.

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but I never get bored with Boris' Tales of the Zombie #1 cover (it is spectacular in person), SSOC #7 cover or Monsters Unleashed #2 cover, for starters. I think it's how people talk about Boris' body of work like it's a monolithic block when, in fact, none of these 1970s covers I just referenced was even done in the "eye catching realistic" style that he used later on. And yet, it is still exceptionally good and has attracted an enormous following of fans and admirers. I'm a big fan of Boris' work from the 1970s up to about 1984 - most of what he did after that I don't really care for.

 

As for those who would say his work is all static and posed, I could turn you on to many paintings that weren't (SSOC #4, anyone? Another one that is far from "realistic", I might add). I'm not saying Boris is everyone's cup of tea, but as someone who actually knows his body of work very well, a lot of the criticisms I hear - mostly from Frazetta acolytes - sound highly misplaced when applied to the period of work I'm talking about. I also find it curious that many of these critics can't seem to find a single critical word to say about Frazetta. Fritz was the best, but he wasn't perfect - just look at the horrible 8-pack of abs he painted on the warrior on the Flashing Swords #1 paperback cover, or the clubbed feet he gave Vampi when he painted over the Vampirella #1 cover, for example.

 

Don't worry, though, Frazetta's legacy is secure. He was the best in the field. But, there is room to acknowledge the art & contributions of others as well, including Boris. who did a lot of great things during his all-too-brief prime period.

[comicartcom]

Prove me wrong: post a photo he took for his commissioned work.

 

 

Frazetta never photographed any subject matter.

 

wrong

 

In the book "Living Legend" there is a shot of Frazetta posing for reference for his "Gauntlet" movie poster. If I can find my copy I'll post it. When he did use photos for reference, I have read that it was usually either him or Ellie as the model. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

You are right. It is a total fiction that Frazetta never photographed any subject matter. Look at "Carson of Venus" in the "Icon" book - bam, photo of Frank posing as Tarzan pictured on that page. Or page 148 of "Testament" showing him posing over a fallen Al Williamson. I recall reading about Frank using one of his daughters as reference for some piece he did in the 1970s. I think it's fair to say that he didn't rely on photo-reference, but to say he never used photos or models is inaccurate.

 

Gene and the rest, thanks for posting a response to that so I don't have to try to find my small archive of Frazetta photos showing him as Thunda..

[Aman619]

art is not like taking the SATS. Its an open book test. youre allowed to use any reference you want. As much as you think you need. You dont have to paint or draw solely from memory!

 

But you are judged on the results. And when teh results look exactly loke the reference, the effect on the viewer may be initialy impressed by the artists skills... but will be moved more by artwork that expands on the reality they used for inspiration. That took the reality and went a few steps further seeking a truer reality, not limited to strict proportions or perspective etc.

 

Im just saying.

 

I dont really love Frazetta, Im not a diehard fan. But my eyes enjoy his work and colors and layout far more than Boris' work What can I say? Boris' work isnt bad or junky.

 

But he suffers by comparison. Like Frazier to ALI. Or Ewing to Jordan.

 

Life just aint fair.

[joe_collector]

So is this the family starting to blow off all his paintings for cash, just as his wall-busting son attested they were planning?

[Chespirito]

So is this the family starting to blow off all his paintings for cash, just as his wall-busting son attested they were planning?

Sad, nobody paid attention to him because of his past...he was right all along..I remember Sean telling me this would happen if his Dad was to die...not even a year passed before it came true...

[Unca Ben]

So is this the family starting to blow off all his paintings for cash, just as his wall-busting son attested they were planning?

I was thinking the same thing. It was stated that only peripheral pieces would be sold. Maybe these pieces are considered peripheral. Or maybe Frank Jr. knew this was going to happen and really did want to keep the collection intact.

It seems a lot of people have a lot to gain by making Frank Jr. out to be the bad guy. The family gets to make some money (nothing wrong with that), some collectors get the chance to own some fantastic art, and what would the brokerage fees be on $1.5 million? Everyone win$.

The chances of keeping a collection like this completely intact after the artist's death are as good as trying to successfully break into a museum with a backhoe.

[bocaratondefense]

So is this the family starting to blow off all his paintings for cash, just as his wall-busting son attested they were planning?

Sad, nobody paid attention to him because of his past...he was right all along..I remember Sean telling me this would happen if his Dad was to die...not even a year passed before it came true...

 

 

Only a few weeks passed before some of the very best pieces in the collection were sold off. So much for those claiming that the museum collection would remain intact.

[tth2]

So is this the family starting to blow off all his paintings for cash, just as his wall-busting son attested they were planning?

Sad, nobody paid attention to him because of his past...he was right all along..I remember Sean telling me this would happen if his Dad was to die...not even a year passed before it came true...

 

 

Only a few weeks passed before some of the best pieces in the collection were sold off. So much for those claiming that the collection would remain intact.

I think you have to assign some of the blame to Frank Sr and his wife. It seems like they never let their family enjoy much, if any, of the wealth that they could have from selling a few of Frank's paintings while he was alive, and then they didn't transfer the paintings to a trust controlled by an independent trustee if they really wanted the paintings to stay intact.

 

So after years of knowing that their parents were sitting on a gold mine but not getting any benefit out of it, the kids get to own the gold mine. Which means that after what seems to have been a very middle class upbringing at best, suddenly millions of dollars can be theirs just by selling some of the old man's paintings. Plus, after commissions and taxes, the net isn't all that huge. And the more money that comes in, the more of it they want because their taste for the good life has increased accordingly after a lifetime of denial, meaning more works need to be sold.

 

It's easy to sit in judgment of the family, but I think until one's been in a position where one is deciding between honoring one's father and continuing a fairly mundane existence versus getting millions of dollars and completely changing one's life, I don't think such judgments will be fair.

[Unca Ben]

My post was not intended to pass judgment on anyone. It was just a comment regarding past posts and their replies,such as the following:

 

posted 12-14-09

So much speculation. Understandable given the circumstances, but speculation

none the less.

 

A few things that I can pass along with absolute certainty without compromising

any confidences--

 

1--Frank Frazetta Sr does NOT suffer from dementia, good news that we can all be

happy to know about.

 

2--The art itself is now completely safe and was in no way damaged in the

incident.

 

3--Frank Jr. has had in the past and still continues to have serious "issues"

which prompted his taking the art. Let's just say it was not taken with the

best interests of his Father and his work/legacy in mind. There was a method to

his madness, but it was not particularly noble.

 

4--Frank Sr. is pretty heartbroken with the turn of events, but seems to have

solid support system in place to get him through this.

 

5--The vast core of the Frazetta art collection will not be sold off or broken

up and will be available at some future date for all of his fans to be able to

see and enjoy for years to come. The recent sale of the Conan painting for a

million dollars was a rarity that will not likely be repeated anytime soon if

ever. Not because there are not buyers, but because of the desire of the family

to keep the art as always.

Hope this answers some of the most pressing questions. Sorry I can't be more

specific, but this is understandable, yes?

 

Scott Williams

 

Emphasis on point 5. How many Frazettas have been sold since this was posted?

And here are some replies in that thread...

 

Thank you for posting this.

 

I am happy to see that they plan on keeping the collection together.

 

Told ya they weren't gonna sell the collection off

[Unca Ben]

...and in all fairness to NYComics, here's a snippet from his post on 12-10-09:

 

 

In my opinion Frank Jr. was trying to save the artwork. Prior to this year supposedly the only people who could sell a Frazetta were Mrs. Frazetta and Frank Jr (not any more w/ new power of attorney)..........this is really sad because I bet that they will sell all of the art and just put up reprints in the museum..............wow this really sucks............wow

 

I am not saying Frank Jr. has a perfect past, but I am saying that he played a major role in taking care of the museum and his dad. I also feel that he would NOT sell these paintings because they are more important to him than anything. I would not be surprised to see if the "new" estate reps were planning on making a major sale or something and Frank Jr. was trying to "save" the pieces.

 

Anyways that is my

 

...I just find this stuff interesting.