Art

An evocative preliminary design by David Scutt for the dust jacket of SeaFire (1994) by John Gardner. Signed by the artist. An early draft, perhaps the first, with noticeable variations in colour and detail to the final published piece. This version was likely executed for the jacket production department. On the acetate sheet the artist notes his concerns about the torpedoes alongside a further sketch in pen. Following Richard Chopping, Bill Botten, and Trevor Scobie, artist David Scutt produced some distinctive original artwork for many of the James Bond continuation novels by John Gardner and Raymond Benson. In the 1990s he also produced the striking cover designs for Coronet's reissued paperback series of the Ian Fleming originals. His other commissions have included the covers of the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman, together with the illustration for the omnibus volume of the series. From the significant Ian Fleming collection of Martin Schøyen (b.1940), with his bookplate on the verso of the artwork. Schøyen's private collection of manuscripts, which span all cultures and all time periods, is one of the largest and most comprehensive of its kind. Original drawing on textured card (c. 235 x 143 mm), oil and gouache, signed ("Scutt") lower right, taped to an accompanying acetate sheet. Tape marks to verso of artwork, colours bright. In fine condition.