Original ‘Star Wars’ painting sells for record $3.9M

The original Tom Jung painting that introduced Star Wars to the world in 1977 sold for $3.875 million at Heritage Auctions on Wednesday, setting records for both the franchise and movie poster artwork.abcnews

The acrylic and airbrush piece first appeared in newspaper ads on May 13, 1977, and was kept by producer Gary Kurtz before his family put it up for auction with bidding starting at $1 million.abcnews

The sale surpassed the previous Star Wars memorabilia record of $3.6 million paid for Darth Vader’s lightsaber in September, according to Heritage officials.abcnews

Star Wars Original Painting Sells for Record $3.9M at Auction

The original painting that gave the world its first glimpse of “Star Wars” sold for $3.875 million at Heritage Auctions in Dallas on Wednesday, shattering records for both the franchise and movie poster artwork. The acrylic and airbrush painting by Tom Jung first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, less than two weeks before George Lucas’s space epic premiered, and became one of cinema’s most recognizable images.abcnews

The sale broke the previous “Star Wars” memorabilia record of $3.6 million, set in September when Darth Vader’s lightsaber from “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” sold at auction. According to Heritage Auctions, it also represents the highest price ever paid for movie poster artwork.cllct

From Producer’s Office to Auction Block

Producer Gary Kurtz, who died in 2018, kept the original painting on his office wall in San Rafael, California, before moving it to his family home. His daughter inherited the piece, and the Kurtz family offered it for sale for the first time, with bidding opening at $1 million.theweek

“For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse of the galaxy far, far away,” said Charles Epting, Heritage Auctions’ director of pop culture and historical consignments. The anonymous buyer submitted the winning bid through Heritage’s website.artnews

Evolution of an Icon

The painting depicts Luke Skywalker holding a lightsaber behind Princess Leia, with Darth Vader looming in the background, alongside X-wing starfighters and Han Solo and Skywalker receiving medals. Jung added R2-D2 and C-3PO to the lower right corner at the last minute; the droids are absent from early reproductions but appear in the movie poster and billboard produced around June or July 1977.abcnews

“You can watch the evolution of this piece and how they were figuring out what was important to include, what are we going to represent, what’s going to draw people in,” Epting said. “Anyone who’s seen these movies or the marketing materials around it — you see this piece, your heart starts racing.”clickorlando