This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/25/2012
When it comes to the very best of early baseball photography, four names come to mind: Carl Horner, Charles Conlon, George Burke, and Louis Van Oeyen. From the famous Baseball Magazine archives sale conducted by Christies in 1996, offered is a Van Oeyen original Joe Jackson of the very finest caliber. A pristinely focused central image captures "Shoeless Joe" in classic follow through form for eternity. A reliable indicator of the exquisite focus of the foreground subject is the noticeably poor focus of the objects in the background. The result is an impeccable image that seems to pop and hover in 3-D above the thin stock on which it is printed. Relative to masterpieces from the likes of Burke and others, this impressively large canvas measures an appealing 7-1/2" x 9" and displays a warmly vintage sepia tone. Frankly, no baseball card of this tragic American icon comes remotely close to depicting him in such tremendous, life-like detail. When considering your bid, keep in mind that original Type 1 Jackson photographs are among the most coveted items in the well-established market for high-end baseball photography. Indeed, they are in a sense the backbone of this advanced hobby, and for a very specific reason. Relative to baseball cards of Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner and most of the game's greats, very few Jackson cards were ever issued, and so collectors tend to consume anything-Joe Jackson, especially photos, with a voracious appetite. I would conservatively grade this masterpiece photo in EX to EX/MT condition due, primarily, to some technical concerns around the perimeter of the thin paper stock, including a small area of restoration at the bottom right corner, none of which come remotely close to intruding on the central image. The back contains the original Van Oeyen stamp as well as the Baseball Magazine hologram from Christie's and several notations from what appear to be at least four different hands. An incredible opportunity to acquire an historically significant Van Oeyen original of exceptional artistic merit.