The results of Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art auction, October 12, 2018

I am now publishing once a week, on Monday.


Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, held an Illustration Art sale on October 12, 2018, with total sales of $1,745,893 for the 398 lots offered. Works by Patrick Nagel and Alberto Vargas led the sale, taking the first five places.

Patrick Nagel Untitled, Heritage lot #71155

The top lot of the sale was #71155, an untitled acrylic on canvas painting by Patrick Nagel. It sold for an incredible $162,500, including buyer’s premium — approximately double its high estimate of $80,000. I continue to be befuddled by his desirability and prices. I just don’t see it.

Alberto Vargas Trick or Treat, Heritage lot #71151

On the other hand, I understand Alberto Vargas. Lot #71151, a mixed media painting on board entitled Trick or Treat, a Playboy interior illustration from the October, 1967 issue, sold for $100,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 – $60,000.

Gil Elvgren Vision of Beauty (Unveiling), Heritage lot #71115

While the prices of works by Patrick Nagel is on the upswing, prices for Gil Elvgren’s works are on the downswing. A beautiful 1947 painting by Elvgren, entitled Vision of Beauty (Unveiling) sold below its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000, realizing only $45,000, including buyer’s premium.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in for the prices (free).


No shows until January 18, 2019, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC). It precedes the Original Miami Beach Antiques Show.

I’ll be listing new items soon, especially Tiffany desk set items, which make great Christmas gifts. Look for them soon.

I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Works by Patrick Nagel led Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art sale, April 24, 2018

For the foreseeable future I will publish once a week on Mondays.


Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, held an Illustration Art sale on April 24, 2018, with total sales of $1,357,487 for the 451 lots offered. Works by Patrick Nagel led the sale, taking the first and fourth places.

Patrick Nagel acrylic on canvas painting Nude on Back with Black Stockings, Heritage lot #71150

The top lot of the sale was #71150, a 1983 acrylic on canvas painting by Patrick Nagel entitled Nude on Back with Black Stockings. It sold for $106,250, including buyer’s premium — approximately double its low estimate of $50,000. I don’t understand Nagel’s work or why it’s so desirable, but someone does.

Alberto Vargas, Martini Time, Heritage lot #71202

I do understand the appeal of Alberto Vargas. His paintings scored the second, seventh and eleventh highest prices of the sale, $87,500, $27,500, and $18,750, respectively. Lot #71202, Martini Time, a watercolor and pencil on paper from 1935, sold for $87,500, including buyer’s premium, well above its high estimate of $50,000.

Gil Elvgren Perfection, Heritage lot #71058

Gil Elvgren has scored the top slots in other illustration art sales, but had to settle for the fifth and eighth ones in this sale. His 1948 painting Perfection sold for $57,500, below its pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000. Recent results for Elvgren’s works have weakened.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in for the prices (free).


The Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show at the Chicago Merchandise Mart will open next week, May 18-20, 2018. We’re pretty excited about it and you should be too. Please make your plans to attend!

We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I recently listed some of the new items on my website and will list more every week. Click Philip Chasen Antiques to take a look. I will make every effort to actively list new items as often as time permits. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Works by Patrick Nagel led Heritage Auctions’ Original Illustration Art sale, October 14, 2017

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. Now that the weather is colder, I have gone back to publishing twice weekly, as often as possible.

Patrick Nagel painting, Bold, Heritage lot #71116

Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas, held their Original Illustration Art sale on October 14, 2017, with total sales of $1,098,328. An acrylic on canvas work by Patrick Nagel entitled Bold led the sale with a $200,000 result. Personally I don’t understand it, but guess what? The bidders didn’t ask me and didn’t care what I thought. I wouldn’t have bought it at any price.

Hugh Joseph Ward illustration, Heritage lot #71171

I would love to have bought lot #71171. It was a wonderful cover illustration by Hugh Joseph Ward entitled Undercover Man for the April, 1942 edition of Detective magazine. It sold for $81,250, including buyer’s premium — the second best result of the sale.

Gil Elvgren 1968 calendar illustration, Swingin’ Sweetie, Heritage lot #71047

Works by Gil Elvgren frequently led previous Heritage’s Illustration sales, but not this time. It appears that prices for Elvgren’s works have been heading lower after peaking several years ago. The top Elvgren lot of the sale, #71047, a 1968 calendar illustration for Brown & Bigelow entitled Swingin’ Sweetie sold for $32,000, good for the fifth best result of the sale.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in (free) for the prices.


No more shows until February 2, 2018, when we’ll exhibit at the Miami Airport show. That gives us time to beat the bushes to find new treasures and take some time to smell the figurative roses. November is usually a good month for business. Then business dies in December because most people are looking for less expensive Christmas gifts than we offer. Occasionally we make a Christmas sale, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Cold weather and the New Year bring a new wave of enthusiasm.

I will update my site as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Patrick Nagel and Gil Elvgren led Heritage Auction’s Illustration Art sale, May 12, 2017

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Heritage Auction held its Illustration Art sale on May 12, 2017, with some superb results. Three works by Patrick Nagel and seven works by Gil Elvgren led the sale.

Patrick Nagel Seductive Female in Profile, Heritage lot #71136

Leading the sale was lot #71136, a large (48″ x 40″) Patrick Nagel acrylic on canvas painting entitled Seductive Female in Profile. It realized $125,000, including buyer’s premium, against a pre-sale estimate of $60,000 – $80,000.

Gil Elvgren Fire Belle (Always Ready), Heritage lot #71071

The second highest price of $112,500 was achieved by a Gil Elvgren painting entitled Fire Belle (Always Ready) from 1956. It sold below its low estimate of $100,000 (without buyer’s premium). The seller took a bath as he paid $191,200 in October, 2011, in another Heritage Illustration Art sale.

Hy Hintermeister Rocket Pad Keep Out, Heritage lot #71097

Nagel and Elvgren dominated the top four spots, with Hy Hintermeister in 5th place, with a lovely painting Rocket Pad Keep Out selling for $37,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 – $12,000.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in (free) for the results.


Our next show is the Denver World Wide Antique Show in mid-July, so we’ll take some time to smell the roses. I’ll be buying and selling in the meantime, so be in touch if you’re doing either.

I recently listed some new items on my website and I’ll be listing more in the near future. Please check my site as often as you can.

Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I will update it as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Soft results for Gil Elvgren paintings at Heritage Auction’s Illustration Art sale, April 26, 2016

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.


Gil Elvgren painting Gay Nymph, 1947, sold at Heritage Auctions in May, 2011 for $286,800

Gil Elvgren painting Gay Nymph, 1947, sold at Heritage Auctions in May, 2011 for $286,800

Heritage Auctions held an Illustration Art sale on April 26, 2016, with total sales of $1,695,956. Included in the sale were several pin-up paintings by acclaimed American illustrator, Gil Elvgren. His works regularly sold for over $100,000 at auction, with six selling for over $200,000. The average now seems to have cooled into the $60,000 range.

Gil Elvgren painting Roxanne, 1960, Heritage lot #71051

Gil Elvgren painting Roxanne, 1960, Heritage lot #71051

The top lot of several Elvgren paintings at the April sale was #71051, a painting entitled Roxanne, from 1960. It sold well below its pre-sale estimate of $100,000 – $150,000, realizing $68,750, including buyer’s premium.

Elvgren painting Charming, Heritage lot #71052

Elvgren painting Charming, Heritage lot #71052

The next lot, #71052, was the second best Elvgren of the sale. It sold within the more realistic estimate of $50,000 – $70,000, realizing $62,500, including buyer’s premium.

Three other Elvgren paintings in the sale sold from $47,500 to $60,000. It could be a bear market in Elvgren paintings or a great buying opportunity. Only time will tell.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in for the prices (free).


Denver, July 15-17, 2016

Denver, July 15-17, 2016

No shows until July, when we’ll be in Denver for the Denver World Wide Antique Show, July 15-17, 2016. In the meantime, we’re very much in business, so call or email me with your wants or items for sale. If you have what I’m looking for, I’m paying the highest prices. My decisions are quick and my payments just as quick. Just snap a photo and email it to me.

I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. I will continue to list more as often as possible. Please click here to take a look.There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.

Heritage held a very successful Illustration Art auction, October 26, 2013

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Norman Rockwell's The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Heritage Auctions held their Illustration Art auction on October 26, 2013, with some impressive results. Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette from 1944 was supposed to be the highlight of the sale and it was. It sold within its estimate of $400,000 – $600,000, to realize $605,000, including buyer’s premium.

Gil Elvgren, Lucky Dog (Dog Gone Robber), Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren, Lucky Dog (Dog Gone Robber), Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren is one artist who can be counted on to do well at an illustration art auction. His Lucky Dog (Dog Gone Robber), Heritage lot #78071, scored the biggest hit, selling for $173,000, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000. This was the highest price ever paid for an Elvgren at a Heritage auction. Two other Elvgren paintings at this same auction sold for over $130,000.

Stevan Dohanos, The Future Fireman, Heritage lot #78014

Stevan Dohanos, The Future Fireman, Heritage lot #78014

Steven Dohanos is another fine artist whose works command premium prices. I was particularly enamored of lot #78014, The Future Fireman, the cover for the November 14, 1953 Saturday Evening Post. I wasn’t alone, as it soared past its pre-sale estimate of $30,000 – $50,000, to realize $106,250.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in or register for free to see the prices realized.

Pier-10-2013

The NYC Pier Show will be held next weekend, November 23-24, 2013. The show is under new management, U.S. Antique Shows, which usually portends improvements. It will be our last show of the year, followed by the important Florida shows in January and February. We’re bringing some incredible new items, so don’t miss this show!

Fantastic Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, just in

Fantastic Tiffany Favrile blue decorated vase, just in

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps

Norman Rockwell painting, The Song of Bernadette, to be sold at Heritage Auctions’ Illustration Art Signature ® auction, October 26, 2013

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Norman Rockwell's The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Norman Rockwell’s The Song of Bernadette, Heritage lot #78138

Heritage Auctions’ will hold their Illustration Art Signature ® auction on October 26, 2013. Included in the sale will be Norman Rockwell’s famous painting The Song of Bernadette, which was originally commissioned to publicize the 1945 movie of the same name, starring Jennifer Jones. It is one of Rockwell’s most reproduced works. The painting is expected to be the top lot of the sale, selling for millions.

Jesse Wilcox Smith's A Child's Prayer, Heritage lot #78153

Jesse Wilcox Smith’s A Child’s Prayer, Heritage lot #78153

Other important artists included in the sale will be J.C. Leyendecker, Jessie Willcox Smith, Stevan Dohanos, Dean Cornwell, Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas.

Gil Elvgren's Lucky Dog, Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren’s Lucky Dog, Heritage lot #78071

Gil Elvgren’s works are usually met with enthusiasm and spirited bidding. Lot #78071 will feature Elvgren’s 1958 painting, Lucky Dog, considered by many to be one of his best. It is likely to exceed its pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000.

For more information on the sale, click here.

Wonderful 12" Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Wonderful 12″ Daum rain scenic vase, just in

Click here to view my new website and look around. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps.

J.C. Leyendecker leads Heritage’s Illustration Art Auction, April 11-12, 2013

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.

Heritage Auction held an Illustration Art Auction on April 11-12, 2013, with some exceptional results. 859 lots were offered, with sales totaling $2,852,875.

J.C. Leyendecker painting Honeymoon, July 17, 1926, Heritage lot #78299

J.C. Leyendecker painting Honeymoon, July 17, 1926, Heritage lot #78299

Top lot of the auction was one of the two cover lots, #78299, Honeymoon, a Saturday Evening Post cover from July 17, 1926. It easily exceeded its high estimate of $120,000, to sell for $194,500, including buyer’s premium.

Patrick Nagel painting, Her Seductive Look, Heritage lot #78153

Patrick Nagel painting, Her Seductive Look, Heritage lot #78153

I understand why the Leyendecker was the top lot of the sale, but I don’t understand why a fairly modern, and not so special (in my opinion) painting by Patrick Nagel, should sell for $158,500. Entitled Her Seductive Look, the pre-sale estimate was $20,000 – $30,000. Personally I wouldn’t have paid $5,000, but my opinion didn’t matter. What mattered was that two wealthy, determined bidders butted heads and bid the price into the stratosphere. Congratulations to the lucky consignor.

Gil Elvgren painting A Near Miss (Right on Target), Heritage lot #78081

Gil Elvgren painting A Near Miss (Right on Target), Heritage lot #78081

Gil Elvgren paintings were well-represented in the sale, so it was no surprise that the third highest lot was his. Lot #78081 was entitled A Near Miss (Right On Target). The final price of $104,500 easily exceeded the high estimate of $75,000. Other Elvgren paintings did well too, with lot #78080, Let’s Go Around Together, selling for $101,500.

For the complete results of the sale, click here. You will have to sign in to see the prices.

No shows until late July, but we’re still very much in business. Please don’t hesitate to call or write. We’re always interested in buying, selling or trading.

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre moth paperweight, for sale at the show

Fine Argy-Rousseau pate-de-verre moth paperweight, for sale at the show

Click here to view French cameo glass for sale. We always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on our website and at every show.

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile blue decorated mini vase, for sale at the show

Wonderful Tiffany Favrile blue decorated mini vase, for sale at the show

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and etchings by Louis Icart. Here’s the link. Philip Chasen Antiques.

Gil Elvgren leads Heritage Auction’s Illustration Art auction, June, 2012

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday. This week we’ll go hiking and white water rafting before our shows in the greater LA area, so there won’t be a Thursday post.

Heritage Auction held their Illustration Art auctions June 27-28, 2012, proving that Gil Elvgren is still King of the Hill. Heritage sold seven works by Elvgren that ranged in price from $11,875 to $176,500, for an average of $82,036, far surpassing the results for any other artist in the sale. Of course there are other illustration artists that can sell for more, like Norman Rockwell, but they weren’t represented in the sale. Besides, Elvgren is noted for pinup art, whereas the other big shots are not.

Gil Elvgren, Skirting the Issue (Breezing Up), Heritage lot #78139

Lot #78139 was an Elvgren painting titled Skirting the Issue (Breezing Up), from 1956. It took the prize for top lot, selling for $176,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $30,000 – $50,000.

Al Buell painting, Brunette Pin-Up, Heritage lot #78110

After Elvgren, second prize, (really 7th prize after six Elvgrens) went to Al Buell. His painting, Brunette Pin-Up, circa 1940, sold for $32,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $1,000 – $2,000 — truly an impressive result. The most a Buell painting has sold for in recent Heritage auctions was $10,000 in March of 2012, so this was quite a jump. Let’s see over the next few auctions if a new level has been set for Buell, or this result was just a fluke.

Hy Hintermeister painting, The Last Word, Heritage lot #78314

One of my favorite artists, Hy Hintermeister, sold very reasonably. Lot #78314, The Last Word, sold for $4,062.50, against a pre-sale estimate of $3,000 – $5,000. A similar painting, Hold Everything, sold for $20,000 in Heritage’s March, 2012 Illustration Art auction.

For the complete results of the sale, click on the following link. Heritage’s Illustration Art results. You’ll have to sign in to view the prices.

We’ll be exhibiting at a show at the end of next week in Redondo Beach, CA, July 27-29. Please come and visit us and show support by considering purchasing something. This will be our last time exhibiting in the greater LA area if we don’t sell enough to make it worth our while.

In the meantime, we’re still very much in business. Don’t hesitate to call or write, and let us know what you’d like to buy, sell, or trade.

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Come visit us in Redondo Beach, July 27-29

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Just recently, I added about 15 new items. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com

Gil Elvgren leads again at Heritage Illustration Art Signature Auction in Beverly Hills, CA, March 1-2, 2012

My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday. Thursday’s post will be about some very good French cameo glass sales at a recent auction.

Heritage Auctions held a successful auction of Illustration Art in Beverly Hills, CA, on March 1st and 2nd, 2012. Total sales exceeded $3,000,000, with a sell-through rate of 98%.

Gil Elvgren, Vision of Beauty (Unveiling), Heritage lot #78117

Top lot of the sale was #78117, an oil on canvas illustration by Gil Elvgren, entitled Vision of Beauty (Unveiling), from 1947. It sold for $140,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000 – $75,000 — almost double the high estimate. Fourteen works by Elvgren were offered, with eleven of them pin-up paintings. Six of those sold for over $50,000, raising the average selling price for Elvgren to $55,915 — far and away the best for any artist in the sale.

Cover illustration for Spicy Adventure Stories by Hugh Joseph Ward, 1937, Heritage lot #78321

The highest price paid for a non-Elvgren painting was $62,500, for a 1937 oil on canvas cover illustration for Spicy Adventure Stories by Hugh Joseph Ward. The selling price was almost double the high estimate of $35,000.

Dean Cornwell painting On Target- Let's Finish the Job, Heritage lot #78075

A Body by Fisher/General Motors oil on canvas advertisement by Dean Cornwell, from 1945, entitled On Target- Let’s Finish the Job, did very well. It quadrupled its high estimate of $9,000 to sell for $37,500.

Dean Cornwell study, Raleigh Receiving the Charter, Heritage lot #78592

At the other end of the sale, prices started as low as $28 for a portrait of Mrs. Brunner, circa 1950, by Frederick Sands Brunner. In fact, there were 48 items that sold for $100 or less. You could even buy an original work by an important artist like Dean Cornwell, Raleigh Receiving the Charter, for $687.50. Granted it was small — 10½” x 6½”, a pen and watercolor on paper study, and unsigned, but it was still a bargain.

For the complete results of the auction, click on the following link. Heritage Illustration auction results.

Our next show is coming very soon — the Pier Show in New York City on the weekend of March 17th and 18th. You don’t have a lot of time, so plan your trip now. Make it a business/pleasure trip and have a great time in the Big Apple!

In the meantime, we’re still in business, so don’t be bashful. Call or write!
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Fine Tiffany Studios millifiori vase

Look around my website. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. I regularly add Tiffany vases, lamps and desk accessories, as well as French cameo glass by Galle and Daum Nancy and Louis Icart etchings. Here’s the link. chasenantiques.com