Attempted Bloggery: Poison Ivy: Ilonka Karasz New Yorker Cover Art

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Poison Ivy: Ilonka Karasz New Yorker Cover Art

An eBay seller in the U.K. currently offers two examples of original New Yorker cover art by Ilonka Karasz. The example presented in yesterday's post had what the seller referred to understatedly as "some fading." Similarly, today's example suffers from the malady of "slight flaking." Both are described as being in "very good condition," but their defects are in no way trivial.

Ilonka Karasz's artwork should delight collectors, but there should also be some acknowledgement by dealers that condition affects price. Instead, the eBay seller has raised the price on this flaky painting from 7,500 GBP to 8,000 GBP.

Ilonka Karasz, Original Artwork for The New Yorker, June 25, 1955

Ilonka Karasz, Detail Showing "Slight Flaking" of the Original Artwork for The New Yorker, June 25, 1955

Ilonka Karasz, The New Yorker, June 25, 1955
The seller got this magazine cover image from another eBay listing, a common enough practice.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-Ilonka-Karasz-Art-Poison-Ivy-Weed-6-25-55-The-New-Yorker-Cover-/400468972377?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=oT4n%252BijmpZyeBirr0NGi3v%252BnL5k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

This piece was available on eBay for 7,500 GBP through May 4.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ilonka-Karasz-Original-Art-for-25-06-55-New-Yorker-Poison-Ivy-/140964505860?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=oT4n%252BijmpZyeBirr0NGi3v%252BnL5k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

The Current eBay Offering Price is 8,000 GBP.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140999942141

The eBay Item Description

[End of eBay Listing]
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ilonka-Karasz-Original-Art-for-25-06-55-New-Yorker-Poison-Ivy-/140964505860?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=oT4n%252BijmpZyeBirr0NGi3v%252BnL5k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc


Jacob Bigelow, Toxicodendron radicans (Rhus radicans, Poison Ivy) from American Medical Botany, 1817-1820 http://www.picturingplants.com/2012/03/jacob-bigelow-toxicodendron-radicans.html