Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
Rarely do Bruce Stark’s prized realist portraits reach the auction block. Over the past decade, only a Ruth and a Gehrig have sold publicly, commanding over $9,500 and just shy of $9,000 respectively. But perhaps the ultimate Bruce Stark subject is the never-before-seen one presented here: Teddy Ballgame. Stark was a favorite artist of Williams, and the Thumper requested Bruce’s work for his personal collection, as well as commissioned cover art for the Ted Williams Museum’s annual magazine.
This is Ted as we all remember him in our mind’s eye—lithe physique, handsome features, wry smile, Boston threads, cut sleeves, bat and glove in hand. The pencil depiction exhibits breathtaking detail from the Kid’s dimples down to the individual hairs on his arm. What’s more, in the perfect added touch, there is Williams’ 5”-long, black-marker “10” signature. Matted and framed to measure 22-1/4” x 26-1/4”. LOA from PSA/DNA.
Bio: Famed New York Daily News illustrator Bruce Stark (1933-2012) won two National Cartoonist Society "Reuben Awards" and created notable covers for Time, Forbes, Fortune and TV Guide. In the 1980s, he turned his focus exclusively to realist portraiture, quickly garnering comparisons to no less than Norman Rockwell. "He was the best," says Bruce's son Ron Stark, who now carries the torch of the family tradition. "I could never aspire to be his equal. He sets the standard for me and I think for all sports artists."
PLEASE NOTE PSA/DNA LOA ERRANTLY REFERS TO THE PIECE AS A LITHO, IT IS NOT AND IS AN ORIGINAL PENCIL DRAWING!