Brothers Hildebrandt! "The Unexpected Party" Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas, Numbered and Hand Signed with Cert! List $995

Known world wide for their fantasy and science fiction illustrations, identical twin brothers Greg and Tim Hildebrandt created an abundance of fascinating artwork, most notably their illustration work for J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings'. "The Unexpected Party", originally created in the 1970's for Ballantine Books, is a limited edition giclee on canvas, numbered and hand signed by Greg Hildebrandt! Includes Certificate of Authenticity! Measures approx. 35" x 17" (image).

Greg Hildebrandt and his twin brother Tim were born on January 23, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. They worked collaboratively as fantasy and science fiction artists; in the illustration world they became better known as "The Brothers Hildebrandt" and are often credited with being two of the founding fathers of the fantasy art genre. The brothers began their professional careers in 1959, during which they produced illustrations for comic books, movie posters, children's books, posters, novels, calendars, advertisements, and trading cards. Some of their most notable works, and what won them international recognition, are the 1976, 1977, and 1978 J.R.R. Tolkien 'Lord of the Rings' calendars, and the original 'Star Wars' movie poster of 1977.
The brothers spent literally thousands of hours over the course of three years working on the ‘Lord of the Rings’ calendars which comprise their most famous and beloved body of artwork. Working side by side, often on the same piece together, the creation of much of the Hildebrandt brothers’ artwork was truly a family affair, as sons, daughters, wives and a host of friends modeled homemade costumes and posed for endless Polaroid pictures that served as templates for their paintings.

With their reputation as master illustrators growing from the success of the first Lord of the Rings calendar, the brothers got a last minute call for a much-needed poster for some sci-fi movie that was opening in a matter of days; the original artwork had been rejected and the director wanted something good immediately. In just about 36 non-stop hours, The Brothers Hildebrandt created the epic Star Wars poster for George Lucas, using Greg's wife as a model for Princess Leia, and a friend in an old bathrobe as their Luke Skywalker!

The work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt has received widespread fan recognition over the last 42 years in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, comic art, pinup art, western art, religious art, comic strip art, and sequential art. During this time they worked for many varied companies including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Franklin Mint, Batfilms, Lucas Films, and a plethora of book publishing companies. Some of their other projects include illustrations for Collectable Card Games (CCG) for 'Magic the Gathering' and 'Harry Potter' published by Wizards of the Coast, as well as several personal projects including the 'American Beauties' series of 1940's - 50's style pinup art. The Brothers Hildebrandt also created a series of tribute paintings celebrating the heroes of September 11, the proceeds of which were donated to the NY Firefighters' 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund.

Unfortunately, the brotherly duo was split up in June of 2006 when Tim Hildebrandt passed away at the age of 67.
In 2010, Greg Hildebrandt received the Chelsey Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Today, Greg remains active in the art world, continuing work on his 'American Beauties' pinup art series.

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