Joseph Christian Leyendecker's spectacular Saturday Evening Post cover Honeymoon led Heritage Auctions' April 11-12 Signature Illustration Art Auction in Beverly Hills.
 Leyendecker's Honeymoon was consigned by a collector whose mother was a close friend of the artist |
The piece is considered one of Leyendecker's finest works for the iconic US publication, and sold at $194,500. The final price is reflective of its strong appeal to collectors, with a 143.1% increase on its $80,000+ estimate.
The Saturday Evening Post is famed for its art covers, which have featured the work of America's top illustrators. Honeymoon was first published on the cover of the then-weekly magazine on July 17, 1926.
 Thornton Utz's Love's Lost Child at Information Booth, from Christmas 1958. Covers from the Christmas editions of the Saturday Evening Post are particularly sought after |
Also starring from the Saturday Evening Post was Thornton Utz's Love's Lost Child at Information Booth, a brilliant example of the artist's work produced for the Christmas edition of the publication in 1958.
The legendary Norman Rockwell also featured in the sale, with Man with Rod and Reel - a preliminary study for an 1941 advertisement - selling for $40,625.
As in previous illustration auctions from Heritage, the top sales were dominated by classic pin-ups, with a Patrick Nagel piece entitled Her Seductive Look bringing the second highest bids at $158,500. Gil Elvgren's A Near Miss (Right On Target) followed, selling at $104,500 alongside many more examples of Elvgren's work.
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