Bernie Wrightson Frankenstein Chapter 24 Published Illustration Plate Original Art from Mary...

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Bernie Wrightson Frankenstein Chapter 24 Published Illustration Plate Original Art from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Novel Adaptation (Marvel, 1977-1983). In this pivotal image from Bernie Wrightson's landmark Frankenstein series, the artist captures Victor Frankenstein's (the only monstrous Frankenstein in the book) perilous pursuit of the creature he created-the intelligent "Modern Prometheus" whose life he was responsible for bringing back from the land of the dead and who swore vengeance upon his creator. As Victor chases his creation across the frozen tip of the Earth, he becomes increasingly isolated and consumed by guilt. Shelley's original story begins and ends in the frozen, alien terrain of the Arctic wasteland. Dr. Frankenstein narrates his tale from this vantage point, and although this image does not appear in the Universal film series that cemented Frankenstein's place in popular culture, it nonetheless captures the alienation of a man wracked with guilt over the forces he has unleashed and terrified that his creation will finally catch up to him and exact his revenge. Wrightson dramatically renders the desolate landscape with painstaking hatching and crosshatching, transforming rock and ice into sculptural forms teeming with visual drama. Wrightson spent seven years completing this magnum opus. The fifty pen-and-ink illustration plates are drawn directly from Mary Shelley's 1831 text, not the films. Inspired by artists like Franklin Booth and Edwin Austin Abbey, Wrightson aimed to echo the look of antique engravings. The result is stunning! It's more than illustration--it's interpretation, built on discipline and devotion. A visual narrative that doesn't just support Shelley's words but deepens them. Widely regarded as Wrightson's masterpiece, Frankenstein remains a passion project that shaped generations, inspiring artists and storytellers with its bold imagery, precision, and enduring creative power. Produced in ink over graphite on an illustration board with an image area of 11" x 16"; glass-front framed to 19" x 24". Signed by Wrightson in the top left of the image area. Along the upper edge of the artist's board, handwritten in ink, is an excerpt from Mary Shelley's book that reads, "...I continued with unabated fervour to traverse immense deserts, until the ocean appeared...". "Chapter XXIV" and "Frankenstein p 180" are handwritten on the verso in ink. With Guillermo del Toro signature on back of frame. Exhibits light handling. Exhibited at LACMA, MIA, and AGO as part of the Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit (2016-2018). Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. From the personal collection of Guillermo del Toro.

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