STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977) - Hand-Painted Ralph McQuarrie X-Wing Starfighter and Imperial TIE Figh

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977) - Hand-Painted Ralph McQuarrie X-Wing Starfighter and Imperial TIE Fighter Illustration - An illustration of an X-wing starfighter and an Imperial TIE fighter hand-painted by Ralph McQuarrie from the production of George Lucas' Star Wars: A New Hope. This artwork was created circa August 1976, and later printed on T-shirts for US-based crew members, including the staff at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). The ships in the artwork were likely a deliberate choice by McQuarrie to represent ILM's work. This illustration is one of the few produced for the film that includes an X-wing. It is shown here in its final design form with four distinct engines rather than two, and features the earlier blue-striped fuselage which progressed to a red stripe later in production. The piece features a number of McQuarrie's signatures, including the orange planet in the background (similar to the well-known triangular "The Star Wars" logo McQuarrie designed), the arched framing (similar to the "Fantastic Five" painting), a soft gradient on the lettering, and airbrushed engine, laser, and motion streaks to add energy to the piece. This illustration is rendered in mixed media, primarily including gouache, on illustration board. Below the "Star Wars" lettering is a pasted-on additional piece of paper likely added to cover an earlier abandoned design element. The board also features press-on lettering reading "the star wars corp. 1976." The artwork is stored with a clear acetate cover layer and an additional paper cover that McQuarrie applied after completing it. It remains extremely well-preserved with no fading and only a minor surface tear outside of the image area. McQuarrie's original trilogy paintings are the pinnacle of his work; they are exceedingly rare and highly sought after by collectors. This is one of only a small number of McQuarrie paintings related to the first film known to exist in private collections today. Both the composition and content of the piece are superb, and a high-quality image of this artwork has never been published previously. Dimensions (on board): 16.5" x 19.25" x 0.75" (42 cm x 48.75 cm x 2 cm) Estimate: $50,000 - 100,000 Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, June 28th. The auction will begin at 8:00AM PDT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, June 29th or Friday, June 30th.