STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) - Hand-Drawn Ralph McQuarrie "Luke and Vader in Cloud City Freezing Chamber" Illustration Concept Sketches

A sheet of concept sketches for an illustration titled "Luke and Vader in Cloud City Freezing Chamber" hand-drawn by design consultant and conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie for the production of Irvin Kershner's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In the film's now-classic climax, Darth Vader (David Prowse) revealed that he was Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) father while the two dueled through the bowels of Cloud City. McQuarrie created these concept sketches as he was trying to figure out the ideal poses and composition for the piece that would officially become the "Luke and Vader in Cloud City Freezing Chamber" production painting.

McQuarrie is widely considered one of the seminal Star Wars artists, having designed the look of Vader, C-3PO, R2-D2, and countless other elements of the original film. McQuarrie was one of Lucas' first collaborators on Star Wars and created numerous concept sketches and production paintings that were used to convey Lucas' vision to those working on the film, and were later used to market it. McQuarrie's paintings were published in portfolios well-known to Star Wars collectors.

The four sketches of father and son in battle poses on this sheet's front and back are all rendered in graphite. They are also featured on page 18 of the Abrams publication Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie. The sheet exhibits tape residue and tearing along its right edge. Dimensions: 16.5" x 11.5" (42 cm x 29.25 cm)

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