Richard Oldden: Venus on the Half-Shell

For the past month, an eBay seller tried to sell a work of original Playboy cartoon art by Richard Oldden that was published in the issue of March 1991. The drawing, of course, is a modern twist on Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus.

Richard Oldden

Original art

Playboy, March 1991, p. 154

Richard Oldden

Original art

Playboy, March 1991, p. 154

Playboy stamps

Richard Oldden's signature

Detail of Venus

At a 1993 auction, Oldden assigned this original Playboy cartoon a "Retail Value" of $500. The eBay seller started the bidding at $300, and did not disclose the actual 1993 sale price.

"Retail Value $500"

Tear sheet

Richard Oldden

eBay listing ended May 21, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166097113841?hash=item26ac28d2f1%3Ag%3ARwsAAOSw7PtkDLcX&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4IFo0UixkWJSAU4aDHxYFsXQNh6DJmhMeyar1qGkKbpoXF+69LW9ip%2BLo%2BnWZyrb%2FZ%2FAsqB%2BzZ5IhIVhEnzx2rq1Y4OCH%2FLc%2Bdqr4OcI5G%2FloKaJtgP22nGv8zN8Y66HkDpj4Fjs%2FgOWBnR%2F6lFTCFBlktZ

IAo29FQYo8H8Wro9%2Faks2z7HZBibUKMM2uSULsh%2FL8t7nJv21sxGBiBSOSnie938aK6YIbzCXEMJeXAiw0sRggh2j6ppU4ZhVtY7bgmciw9PSqfvvEejaUuQ1rCSuTEpOC1Q1ZqIBrlDI%2F8n%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4Tr8NyKYg&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Richard Oldden

eBay item description

At $300, history repeated itself, although a best offer option was added to the most recent listing:

Richard Oldden

Original art

Playboy, March 1991, p. 154

Sandro Botticelli

The Birth of Venus (c. 1484–1486)

Tempera on canvas

172.5 cm × 278.9 cm (67.9 in × 109.6 in)

Uffizi, Florence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus#/media/File:Sandro_Botticelli_-_La_nascita_di_Venere_-_Google_Art_Project_-_edited.jpg

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