Demand for Barry Windsor Smith non-Conan art back ? 1 1

[Grendel72]

Am watching  the comiclink auction for the "Book of Samothrace" painting. Didn't expect the bid to be over 60k. Its a stunning painting though. 

https://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2FAUCTIONS%2FPREVIEW.ASP%3F_SORT%3DYES%26returning%3D1%26code%3D2023aug%26f1%3Darp%26ODire1%3DDESC%26f2%3Di.Type%2C%2Bi.Title%2C%2Bi.IssueNumber%26ODire2%3DASC%26f3%3Dsortcond%26ODire3%3DDESC%26fshowpicture%3D1%26fthumbbeenhere%3D1%26reliststatus%3Dtestrls%23Item_1711813&id=1711813&itemType=1

 

 

[Rick2you2]

What makes it “stunning” as compared to well-detailed and weird? Is there a theme to the piece I am missing?

[grapeape]

Back? The Weapon X stuff performed quite well. I wouldn't have guessed the trajectory on this one but more power to him.

[tth2]

On 9/5/2023 at 7:36 AM, Rick2you2 said:

What makes it “stunning” as compared to well-detailed and weird? Is there a theme to the piece I am missing?

No kidding.  It seems like you're mostly paying for an immaculately rendered stone wall.

[Rick2you2]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:18 PM, tth2 said:

No kidding.  It seems like you're mostly paying for an immaculately rendered stone wall.

It is a very nice wall, too nice if it pulls my attention from the central theme of the picture. But the question remains: what the heck is this about? Is she supposedly looking in the mirror and realizing her hair has the frizzies?

Edited September 5, 2023 by Rick2you2

[Bronty]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:18 PM, tth2 said:

No kidding.  It seems like you're mostly paying for an immaculately rendered stone wall.

Well, IMO, you're mostly paying (almost exclusively paying?) for the name attached to the picture.

There's nothing wrong with that if you're deep into collecting BWS, but I can't imagine it will excite most people.

[Bronty]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:36 PM, Rick2you2 said:

What makes it “stunning” as compared to well-detailed and weird? Is there a theme to the piece I am missing?

Well put.   I don't know the OP and I mean this respectfully but I think people sometimes use words like "stunning" as a stand-alone adjective like that to describe art when they aren't quite sure what else to say?

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by Bronty

[Bronty]

On 9/5/2023 at 6:57 AM, Rick2you2 said:

It is a very nice wall, too nice if it pulls my attention from the central theme of the picture. But the question remains: what the heck is this about? Is she supposedly looking in the mirror and realizing her hair has the frizzies?

Presumably some kind of plot element regarding the Tros of Samothrace (?) saga.    I haven't read it but google says it is about Caesar's first attempt to conquer the Britons.

[Rick2you2]

On 9/5/2023 at 8:28 AM, Bronty said:

Well put.   I don't know the OP and I mean this respectfully but I think people sometimes use words like "stunning" as a stand-alone adjective like that to describe art when they aren't quite sure what else to say?

 

My personal favorite is when someone on eBay says something is “rare”. Maybe it’s rare because no one wanted one?

[delekkerste]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:12 PM, grapeape said:

Back? The Weapon X stuff performed quite well. I wouldn't have guessed the trajectory on this one but more power to him.

I'm pretty sure that BWS' Weapon X art has surpassed his Conan work in terms of broad-based hobby appeal, at least among the under-55 collectors in the hobby. 

A friend of mine had the "Book of Samothrace" painting (not sure if he is the consignor or if he let it go at some point). For a certain generation (he is older), there's a real mystique to and nostalgia for The Studio-era BWS art (this one is in The Studio book).

A lot of BWS' Studio-era material hit the market all at once 7 years ago and prices suffered as a result. That said, a lot of time has passed, and the prices of his other art (especially Weapon X) has skyrocketed in value, so, maybe it's not that surprising to see his Studio-era art finally get a bump as well (I say that as the owner of a great BWS piece from that era, the one that was used as the cover for his OPUS 2 book). 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by delekkerste