Three choice lots from upcoming Heritage auctions
Historical Manuscripts
In this July 1950 letter to his personal banker Max Pellequer, Pablo Picasso mentions his famous bronze sculpture L’Homme au Mouton, which he cast in 1943 as a response to the turmoil of occupied France during World War II. In 1950, Picasso donated the work to the city of Vallauris, where he lived from 1948 to 1955. Pellequer first met Picasso in the early 1920s, and the two developed a close friendship. Over the course of their relationship, Pellequer assembled an extensive and significant collection of Picasso’s work.
Pulp Magazines
The first appearance of Doc Savage, one of the all-time great pulp heroes, makes this one of the most influential and valuable pulp magazines ever published. Walter Baumhofer introduces the Man of Bronze with an iconic cover that would define the character’s look for decades. Savage stands as a defining icon of the pulp era, and this issue ranks with The Shadow (April 1931), The All-Story (October 1912), and Weird Tales (March 1923) as one of the most significant debuts in the history of pulp magazines.
Doc Savage No. 1 March 1933 (Street & Smith) CGC VG+ 4.5
Auction: July 31
Western Art
Throughout his life, sculptor and Wyoming native Dave McGary compiled and studied historical Native American dress, which helped inform his sculpture process. His bronze works, including Touch the Clouds, which depicts a Native American chief with his arms outstretched, are easily recognizable thanks to their intricate detail and historical accuracy. McGary’s combination of paints, patinas, and hundreds of welded-together pieces show his dedication to his craft and his reverence for Native American history.