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Estimate: $ 3,000 - $ 4,000
BRALDT BRALDS (1951-) "Bruder Affe." Illustration for the cover of Der Spiegel, August 28, 2000. Oil on wood panel. 15x12 3/4 inches; 381x323 mm. Archivally float-mounted in archival matte and silver metal frame measuring 27x24-inch frame. Signed and dated a year after creation "Braldt Bralds `01."
For the magazine's emotionally charged cover story concerning the demise of the biological family that is closer to Homo sapiens than any other form of life and whose diminishing population levels threaten them with extinction, Bralds portrayed "Bruder AFFE" cleverly and adeptly, as a cross between the sculptor Rodin's famous "Thinker" and Shakespeare's Hamlet, contemplating mortality as he considers his late friend Yorick's skull.
Bralds, a mostly self-taught artist from the Netherlands, has been a prolific and sought-after illustrator for several decades. He was launched into fame beginning in 1978 when he received his first commission with a cover for TIME magazine soon followed by his indelible image of the proud Morgaine on horseback gracing the cover of The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley's 1983 women-focused historical fiction bestseller about Arthurian legends. Bralds' impressive client list includes such notable publications as Newsweek, Omni Magazine, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Playboy, Penthouse, National Geographic, and more. His work has been featured in ad campaigns for Alfa Romeo, Atlantic Records, Grand Marnier, Gucci, IBM International, Kahlua, Levi-Strauss, Pirelli Brazil, among others. He has designed three stamp issues for the United Nations Postal Service and the United States Postal Service. In the late 1990s, Bralds transitioned to a fine art career, displaying his work in exhibits and galleries throughout the world. A long list of awards includes a Hall of Fame recognition from the Dutch Society of Illustrators, an Andy Award, and a Clio Award. From The Society of Illustrators, he has won several medals, the coveted Hamilton King Award in 1984 and, just this spring of 2021, was inducted into their prestigious Hall of Fame.
