John Romita sr sketch, original or a fake? 2 2

[thatcomicbookguy1]

I purchased this a few years ago. And yes unfortunately I don't have a COA but looking over it, it looks fine. But just hoping someone with a keener eye could tell me. Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2019 by thatcomicbookguy1

[comix4fun]

To my eye it's doesn't look right, the line is shaky , the inks lack the smoothness and confidence you see from a Romita inked piece, some of the aspects of the drawing along with the signature are either hesitant, or slightly off from a Romita piece of this vintage. 

That's just my opinion though, and from seeing dozens if not hundreds of Romita pieces in hand over the years. I could be wrong I suppose. 

[glendgold]

The webbing on Spidey's face looks awkward, but I have no idea if this is Romita or not.

What's weirder -- have you put "La Monde Galleries" into google with that address?  Just one result, and it's the NY registration for that firm.  No evidence that they otherwise ever existed. 

 

 

 

[glenbru]

That does not look like Romita to me at all.  It looks like another artist copied a Romita pose.  I think it's a fake.

I hope it wasn't too expensive.

[exitmusicblue]

Likewise, fake.  Have never seen such shaky/uneven Romita Sr. lines.  And he could still draw a mean line in the early 90s.

[exitmusicblue]

Plus, the mask is a dead giveaway.

Plenty of cons have prolly figured Romita SR is easy to fake, but his art is deceptively simple.  There's a boldness + balance to the strokes.

[delekkerste]

Totally fake. The "signature" is so, so bad - the only way Romita signed it is if he was standing unsupported on a moving subway car at the time.  The costume is pathetically drawn, and then the fake gallery stamp on the back to add legitimacy to the piece does exactly the opposite for veteran combatants in this hobby. 

[glendgold]

I am curious where you got this from - did the seller have assurances about the provenance?

[Rick2you2]

Mike? 

[PhilipB2k17]

I agree with everyone else, but that left elbow gives the whole thing away. That's either a bad artist, or a bad trace job. That's not the hand of a seasoned, respected pro like JR.

[jaybuck43]

Apparently there's more than one...

They do claim provenance details are available.  I don't recall John doing much work with watercolors though.

https://www.syndicart.co.uk/index.php/all-artists/john-romita-sr/spiderman-john-romita-sr-detail

[mysterio]

Looks lightboxed to me.

[NicoV]

1 hour ago, jaybuck43 said:

Apparently there's more than one...

They do claim provenance details are available.  I don't recall John doing much work with watercolors though.

https://www.syndicart.co.uk/index.php/all-artists/john-romita-sr/spiderman-john-romita-sr-detail

This one looks better! I guess it comes from this auction: https://bid.woodshedartauctions.com/lots/view/1-R76XS/john-romita-sr-spiderman
Origin would be "Private collection, Hungary".

But on the same auction they also had a "great" Calvin&Hobbes watercolor that did not sell 
https://bid.woodshedartauctions.com/lots/view/1-R76UI/bill-watterson-calvin-and-hobbes

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by NicoV

[vodou]

Just now, NicoV said:

Origin would be "Private collection, Hungary".

L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L.

[mattn792]

57 minutes ago, NicoV said:

This one looks better! I guess it comes from this auction: https://bid.woodshedartauctions.com/lots/view/1-R76XS/john-romita-sr-spiderman
Origin would be "Private collection, Hungary".

But on the same auction they also had a "great" Calvin&Hobbes watercolor that did not sell 
https://bid.woodshedartauctions.com/lots/view/1-R76UI/bill-watterson-calvin-and-hobbes

 

Really???  Because that looks absolutely nothing like JR Sr.'s signature.

[Old_Man_Adam]

 

 

13 hours ago, exitmusicblue said:

dead giveaway.


I couldn’t resist ....

[PhilipB2k17]

3 hours ago, jaybuck43 said:

Apparently there's more than one...

They do claim provenance details are available.  I don't recall John doing much work with watercolors though.

https://www.syndicart.co.uk/index.php/all-artists/john-romita-sr/spiderman-john-romita-sr-detail

That second one looks more legit. It still may be a fake, but it’s “light” years better than the original. 

[Unca Ben]

First one's terrible, I can't imagine it being real.  The second looks way nicer, but my Spidey sense is tingling.  Mike?  @romitaman

Edited August 20, 2019 by Unca Ben

[pinupcartooncollector]

sig is horrible in the first, and only slightly less horrible in the second one.  Neither looks legit to me.  Also, anything from Hungary does not count as provenance to me.

 

[Blastaar]

Signature is not even close.