Bidding for this lot will end on Tuesday, March 12th. The auction will begin at 9:00AM PDT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Wednesday, March 13th or Thursday, March 14th.




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A matte painting depicting an aerial street view hand-painted by matte artist Matthew Yuricich for Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) hung from a roof just before he was saved by replicant Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).

The sequence - one of the most recognized in all of 1980s cinema - was accomplished by compositing live-action photography with a matte painting Yuricich created under his brother Richard Yuricich and Douglas Trumbull's Entertainment Effects Group (EEG), setting the film's compositing effects apart from the chroma key compositing that had become prevalent in other films by that time. Two slightly different shots of Deckard dangling from the roof utilized the same painting.

Yuricich worked with the assistance of Rocco Gioffre and Michele Moen to create around 15 matte paintings for the film, which was nominated for an Academy Award® for its groundbreaking visual effects work. After production, Gioffre and Moen went on to become acclaimed matte painters in their own right, cementing Yuricich's legacy as both artist and mentor.

This painting is rendered in mixed media on a large masonite board marked "97 A, V = 8 3 1/2" in the top-left corner. One piece of white gaffer tape on the front is labeled "FX 97, V=58, h=58, 97A," and another reads "BLADE RUNNER." The painting's distinctive green and brown hues were chosen specifically based on how the color and contrast would be picked up by the film stock selected by Douglas Trumbull and Yuricich's brother Richard to photograph and composite the mattes (despite Yuricich's opposition to such odd hues). Also included is a modern-printed "working composite" photo print that illustrates the final composition of the lot, showing how the live action composited into the final artwork.

The board exhibits scuffs and edge wear from production use. Dimensions: 80.25" x 38" x 0.25" (204 cm x 96.5 cm x 0.75 cm)

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Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Buyer's Guide.



See PDF below for a comprehensive study of this and other lots in the Matthew Yuricich matte painting collection.

Estimate: $25,000 - 50,000

View all lots from BLADE RUNNER (1982)

View all lots from Matthew Yuricich Collection