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Lot # 1565: Mid 1950's Brooklyn Bum Hand Colored Cover Artwork by Willard Mullin

Starting Bid: $1,500.00

Bids: 1 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed

Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer/August 2006 Catalog",
which ran from 7/30/2006 12:00 AM to
8/28/2006 9:00 PM



From the mid-1950's, a unique and utterly amazing hand-colored pen and ink drawing by the widely celebrated Willard Mullin, considered the Dean of American sports cartoonists. Mullin is generally credited with originating the "Brooklyn Bum" character, and this version is surely among his best - in fact, the illustration was used on the cover of a Dodger banquet program. The famous Brooklyn Bum clenches a baseball bat, and "D' Artagnan of the Gowanus - All Against One and One Against All!" appears to his left. The famous "Willard Mullin" signature appears at lower right, and is itself considered a work of art, always comprised of exactly 26 vertical slashes of the artist's pen. This absolute masterpiece measures 15" x 20", and is supremely executed on artists board with pen, ink and watercolor. As a real bonus, part of an abandoned larger work by Mullin, in ink over pencil sketching, appears on the reverse of the board. Artwork is NRMT, while backing board is EX. A great one that will surely become a centerpiece in any collection!

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