Pin-Up illustration auction at Heritage

Now that is one happy polar bear. Look at that smile!

This is Gil Elvgren’s Bear Facts (A Modest Look: Bearback Rider) from 1962, and it could be all yours. Heritage Auctions has this original painting and plenty of others from the collection of Charles Martignette up for bid in their May Signature Illustration Art Auction going on now.

Do yourself a favor and scroll through the items up for bid. There are works by J.C. Leyendecker, Alberto Vargas, Norman Rockwell, Patrick Nagel, Frank Frazetta and Olivia De Berardinis, among others. This is the best collection of illustration art ever assembled, and it’s a shame to see it broken up. The collection would have made one heck of a fun museum to visit with the kids (or not).