City Bird is a 1969 lithograph by the English caricaturist Ronald Searle. He created a number of prints in this period with pointed observations set off by imposing cityscapes. This example, sold by Heritage Auctions on April 9, is no. 64/99. There are also ten numbered artist's proofs. The colors are black, gold, and red according to the 1971 Munich exhibition catalogue of Galerie Wolfgang Gurlitt where it is listed as no. 46. It is numbered 132 by Editions Empreinte.
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I saw an example of this print at a downtown Manhattan gallery in the late 1970s. I think the price was $200 but i could be wrong. The gallerist condescended to inform me that Searle was "a major illustrator," which, as you might surmise, I already knew. But I had no intention of buying this one at any price.
I can't really say I've changed my opinion with the passage of time although I have grown more tolerant of Searle's grotesqueries as the world itself has gotten more repugnant. Still, the figure attracts and repulses me at the same time. To me, she looks like a prostitute—which, to be fair, is legal in France.
The estimate was $200-$300. Bidding started at $1 with no reserve. Eighteen days before the sale, no bids had yet been placed.
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| Ronald Searle Heritage Auctions listing accessed March 21, 2026, 18 days before the sale |
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| Ronald Searle Heritage Auctions item description |
Last week, the print was sold for a bid of just $1, which comes out to $50 with Heritage's minimum buyer's premium. I hate to see such little interest in a Searle lithograph, many of which are quite wonderful, but this one clearly isn't for everybody. Not even me.
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| Gurlitt catalogue |
05245
