Brian Lebel's OLD WEST EVENTS is featuring Richard Amsel's original illustration for the poster of Don Siegel's acclaimed 1976 western THE SHOOTIST. The auction will be on Saturday, January 24th.This has long been among my absolute favorite Amsel pieces, and I wish I had the cash to put up a winning bid.
It really captures Amsel's extraordinary gift for both period nostalgia and montage -- assembling a would-be, jumbled smorgasbord of actors' faces into a clean, beautifully composed image. This was John Wayne's final film, and few actors could claim to have such a fitting valedictory. Amsel's work further added to Wayne's mythic status by having the actor's eyes hidden in shadow.
UPDATE: The original artwork sold at auction on the floor for $19,360.00!
