Manhattan’s Metropolis Gallery will be opening its new show, “Greg Hildebrandt: A Retrospective,” on Friday, October 7, 2016, adding another exciting event for New York Comic Con attendees.
This is the first retrospective for Hildebrandt, who with his late brother, Tim, is among the most revered fantasy and science fiction artists of the last 50 years. Not only will the show include some of their coveted Tolkien paintings that have never been shown before, the artist will attend the opening reception, to be held Friday from 6 PM to 10 PM.
“I did not choose art. Art chose me,” Hildebrandt said. “This retrospective is about my never-ending passion for creating art. Creating, for me, is the exploration of other worlds both in and out of my imagination.”
This exhibit will showcase upwards of 50 paintings for viewing and sale, including some never before available. Hildebrandt’s work continues to rise in value, with key pieces selling for as much as $150,000 each. “We’re honored to represent the very talented Greg Hildebrandt,” said Metropolis COO and curator Vincent Zurzolo. “From Lord of the Rings to Star Wars to Marvel and DC, Greg has painted it all.”
The Brothers Hildebrandt shot to international fame in the mid-1970s, when they illustrated a series of Lord of the Rings calendars. In 1977, Lucas Films hired them to create the movie poster for the first Star Wars film. They went on to illustrate Marvel comics and DC comics, among other high profile projects. Sadly, Tim passed away in 2006.
“One thing that makes Greg such an icon is that he continues to create remarkable art,” Zurzolo said. “In addition to classic Brothers Hildebrandt pieces, we’ll be showcasing works from his ‘American Beauties’ pin-up series and ‘The Dark Side’ series, which explores the darker nature of comic book heroes and villains.”
The exhibit will also feature a very popular new work, “Captain America v. Hitler,” which Hildebrandt created this year in honor of Captain America’s 75th anniversary.
New York Comic Con attendees are invited to the Friday night opening at Metropolis, which is a 10-minute walk from the Javits Center. Thereafter, the gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 AM to 5 PM. The exhibit will run through December 31.
The gallery is the creation of Metropolis Collectibles, one of the world’s largest vintage comic collectibles dealers. Together with its online auction house, ComicConnect.com, it has an evolving inventory of more than 150,000. Metropolis Gallery is located at 36 West 37th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Visit www.metropolisgallerynyc.com to learn more about them.
