Screen-matched artwork of Cloud City hand-painted by concept and matte artist Ralph McQuarrie for Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. This is the on-camera element used in the shot of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) approaching Cloud City in his X-wing. The piece was painted on an animation cel, cut out from the sheet, and mounted to a "C" stand for filming. The cel material is thin and was likely supported on the reverse during photography. Measuring approximately 10.5 inches across, the artwork was appropriately scaled for its appearance in this specific sequence; other views of Cloud City in the film employed different matte paintings.
Ralph McQuarrie is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in the Star Wars saga, responsible for designing Darth Vader, C-3PO, R2-D2, and numerous other defining visuals of the original trilogy. One of George Lucas's earliest collaborators, McQuarrie created concept sketches and production paintings that helped translate Lucas's ideas into a cohesive visual world. In addition to his conceptual work, McQuarrie produced many matte paintings for The Empire Strikes Back, several of which were used directly in the finished film.
This Cloud City illustration is executed in cel vinyl, gouache, and mixed media. McQuarrie often worked in matte-finish gouache, and the fine linework visible here is characteristic of his style. The artwork exhibits small tears at the "stem" structure and along the upper edge, both repaired with tape. On-camera McQuarrie artworks are exceptionally rare, making this piece a remarkable example of his direct contribution to one of cinema's most beloved films. Dimensions: 26.5 cm x 22.75 cm (10.5" x 9")
A printed still of this lot is also included with its sale.
Sold without copyright; see notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £25,000 - 50,000 Ω
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