Original Artwork

1967, gouache on board, 56cm X 81cm

Cover illustration commissioned by Corgi for Mickey Spillane’s ninth novel in the Mike Hammer series, first published in 1966.   

The artwork is sold with an original The Twisted Thing paperback that features the Fratini illustration.  

The original painting art board is approximately 56 cm wide x 81 cm tall. 

1967, gouache on board, 56cm X 81cm

Cover illustration commissioned by Corgi for a Mickey Spillane novel first published in 1965.  The “pulpiest” of all pulp fiction writers, Spillane clearly hit on a formula that worked.  His books have sold more than 225 million copies worldwide and seven of his books feature in the 15 bestselling books of all time in America.  Eye-catching cover illustrations were critical to the sales strategy of moving large quantities of books off shelves quickly and, as a result, illustrators had extraordinary impact.

c.1967, gouache on board, 54cm x 46cm

Fratini produced a number of options for Mickey Spillane’s second novel in the Tiger Mann, secret agent, series; this is the option that was selected for publication by Corgi Crime Books. Another version which did not make the final cut is also exhibited here.  The character of Tiger Mann was believed to have been created by Spillane to compete with the popularity of James Bond.

The original artwork is sold with an original copy of the Bloody Sunrise paperback featuring the Renato Fratini illustration. 

c. 1967, gouache on board, 56cm x 43cm

Cover illustration commissioned by Corgi for Mickey Spillane's 8th novel in the Mike Hammer series "The Snake". A film based on the novel was planned by Robert Fellow but never made. It was carried out by Fratini at the same time as the others in the same series.

The artwork is sold with an original The Snake paperback that features the Fratini illustration.  

The original painting art board is approximately 56 cm wide x 43 cm tall. 

1967, acrylic on board,  40 cm wide x 34 cm tall

Alistair MacLean’s 1961 thriller was republished by Fontana Books in 1967. Fratini depicted the ‘steel jungle’ oil-platform setting of the novel on a choppy ocean. The story of revenge is expressed in the struggle of the couple in the foreground.

The artwork is sold with an original Fear is the Key paperback that features the Fratini illustration.  

The original painting art board is approximately 40 cm wide x 34 cm tall. The artwork is float mounted on to conservation grade mountboard and presented in a white wooden box frame glazed with anti-reflective glass.