Three choice lots from upcoming Heritage auctions
Modern & Contemporary Art
In the mid-1990s, Louisiana native George Rodrigue soared to worldwide fame with his series of Blue Dog paintings based on a photograph of his late dog, Tiffany. With Blue Dog at the forefront of these images, Rodrigue often inserted absurd backgrounds, surrealism, and other impish humor designed to delight the viewer. This 1992 work inspired by The Turkish Bath, an 1862 painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, places Blue Dog against a backdrop of nude figures in a moody Louisiana landscape.
George Rodrigue Right Place Wrong Time, 1992
Auction: February 19
Non-Sports Trading Cards
Topps’ 1977 Star Wars Series 1 card set is the foundational issue of one of the most important and influential non-sport franchises ever produced, capturing the film’s original theatrical release at the very moment it began reshaping popular culture. Issued months before Star Wars became a full-blown phenomenon, the set blends character introductions, key story moments, and world-building visuals. This mint-condition card features Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and is one of only 17 examples graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA.
1977 Topps Star Wars No. 57 Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker PSA Gem Mint 10
Auction: February 19
Historical Manuscripts
On May 11, 1861, Abraham Lincoln wrote to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles asking him to review the disciplinary case of Commander Edward B. Boutwell, a 39-year-old naval veteran who had been suspended in 1858. Boutwell, who had commanded the sloop John Adams during the Navy’s 1855 Fiji expedition, had been court‑martialed in June 1858 on charges of “disobedience to orders, neglect of duty, and scandalous conduct.” In the letter, Lincoln urges Welles to attend to the matter “as soon as possible.”
Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed
Auction: February 26