Official Lucasfilm artist Robert Bailey was one of a handful invited by George Lucas to contribute to the 2010 Star Wars Visions book, and now you can own original artwork by the Stoke-on-Trent born artist as his latest Star Wars series The Empire Strikes Back – Part 1 arrives.
Castle Fine Art is proud to present The Empire Strikes Back – Part 1; a unique collection of Robert Bailey original pencil drawings alongside original script pages from the film, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. This follows the previous sell-out collection of similarly paired artwork with script pages in the collection Revenge of the Jedi – The Lost Script released in May 2023.
Ahead of the official launch on the 11th January, we’re delighted to offer you the rare opportunity to purchase a detailed original pencil drawing by Robert Bailey mounted alongside a genuine page of the film’s script!
In this collection, Bailey has illustrated scenes from the script Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), creating incredibly detailed pencil drawings. As well as being hand-signed by the artist, each original drawing bears two Lucasfilm stamps. The red stamp signifies the copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd, and the blue stamp provides the authenticity of Robert being a Lucasfilm-endorsed artist.
Each drawing is combined with a page of an original script used by Michael Ford (1928 – 2018), a set decorator and art director on the original production of the film. Michael Ford is known for his work on Titanic (1997), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) as well as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Ford’s outstanding work on these films has been recognised several times by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, earning him nominations for ‘Best Art Direction – Set Direction’ for both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
These authenticated script pages show an insight into the production process; as any script revisions happened, the entire page was re-printed on a differently coloured paper. Within this collection, there are five differently coloured pages, meaning five revisions of the script. Yellow pages are from 20th February 1979; white pages are from a revision on 28th February 1979; pink pages are from a revision on 19th March 1979; blue pages are from a revision on 23rd July 1979 and 22nd August 1979 and cream pages are from a revision on 24th August 1979.
Robert Bailey’s drawings and pages from Michael Ford’s script have been paired together, then mounted and framed in black mount and placed under museum-quality glass. The result is a collection of totally unique pieces which are prized by any Star Wars collector.
You can also view the artwork at The ICC in Birmingham from 12th January through to 3rd February.
The Force is Strong in Birmingham
Our gallery in the heart of Birmingham will be hosting an exhibition of these works, alongside memorabilia from Michael Ford. The exhibition will run from 12th January to 3rd February 2024. However, for a first look at the whole collection, we would like to invite you to attend a VIP private view on the evening of 11th January. If you would like to attend this exclusive event, please contact your art consultant.
May the Force be with you.
- Hardcover Book
- English (Publication Language)
- 176 Pages - 11/01/2010 (Publication Date) - Abrams Books (Publisher)
