This Painting Introduced the World to ‘Star Wars.’ It Just Became the Most Expensive Item Connected to the Franchise Ever Sold at Auction
The artwork by illustrator Tom Jung, which brought in $3.9 million, features Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other characters in scenes from the 1977 film
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The galactic painting that debuted ahead of Star Wars nearly 50 years ago just sold at auction for $3.9 million. Illustrator Tom Jung’s acrylic and airbrush half-sheet depicts Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other characters against a starry backdrop. It ran on billboards, magazine pages and subway walls weeks before the 1977 premiere of the original Star Wars film.
Jung’s original painting is now the most expensive piece of Star Wars memorabilia ever sold at auction, according to a statement from Heritage Auctions. The painting also set a record for the highest auction price ever reached by a piece of movie poster art.
“For most of America, this was the first time they got a glimpse of the galaxy far, far away,” Charles Epting, Heritage Auctions’ director of pop culture and historical consignments, tells the Associated Press’ Audrey McAvoy.
The painting was the “first widely published image used to promote Star Wars,” per the statement. At the time, Jung was a rising star in film visuals. He had joined Warner Bros.’ advertising department in the early 1960s and had already painted posters for Scrooge (1970), Le Mans (1971) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). However, his work for Star Wars would become his most enduring legacy.
“This painting defined the visual language of one of the most beloved films of all time, and its impact clearly still resonates with collectors at the highest level,” Epting says in the statement.
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Gary Kurtz, one of the producers of the movie which was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope, held on to Jung’s original poster painting. It hung on the wall of his office in San Rafael, California, and then moved to his family home. It passed to his daughter, Melissa Kurtz, who recently consigned the painting to Heritage Auctions.
“It has been an honor to have this wonderful painting with us all these years,” Melissa said in a November statement from the auction house. “It serves as a warm reminder of that incredible experience—being part of the making of a film that has touched so many lives.”
Jung’s poster composition includes spaceships, a lightsaber and images of characters from A New Hope, including R2-D2, C-3PO, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca. The vertical film poster is a cropped and compressed version of the half-sheet, featuring only Luke, Princess Leia, Darth Vader and the droids in front of a spaceship fleet and the Death Star.
“The composition had to share enough of the story to entice audiences yet remain evocative enough to leave people wanting more,” Epting tells Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. “It draws from classic fantasy illustrators such as Frank Frazetta and is a refreshingly analog take on a high-tech universe. It remains as impactful now as it was nearly 50 years ago.”
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Jung’s poster wasn’t the only Star Wars illustration auctioned off during Heritage Auctions’ recent sale of Hollywood and entertainment memorabilia. A matte painting of the Ewok Village from Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi (1983) sold for $162,500. Made by artist Christopher Evans, this acrylic and oil depiction of treehouses on the forest moon of Endor served as a backdrop during filming. Per the statement, the painting is screen-matched, meaning it is visible in the movie itself, when Luke, Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO are taking shelter with the Ewoks.
Star Wars memorabilia typically fetches impressive sums at auction. In 2017, an R2-D2 model sold for $2.75 million. Darth Vader’s helmet sold for more than $1 million in 2019. And in September, Darth Vader’s lightsaber sold for $3.7 million, making it the most expensive Star Wars item ever auctioned—until Jung’s painting brought in $3.9 million.
Epting tells the AP that the painting’s price comes from its prominent place in American film history, as well as fans’ emotional connection to the Star Wars franchise.
“You can watch the evolution of this piece and how they were figuring out what was important to include, what are we going to represent, what’s going to draw people in,” Epting tells the AP. “Anyone who’s seen these movies or the marketing materials around it—you see this piece, your heart starts racing.”
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