Bidding for this lot will end on Sunday, December 7th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM GMT (7:00AM PST) 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 Friday, December 5th or Saturday, December 6th.
A pair of rare concept drawings from The Trial sequence of Pink Floyd: The Wall, capturing the grotesque pairing of Mother and Teacher in one of Gerald Scarfe's most psychologically charged moments.
Executed in graphite on animation paper and bearing the Pink Floyd: The Wall production seal, this drawing represents an early visualisation of the scene preceding the Teacher's descent down the Wall to face judgment with a secondary sketch also rendered in graphite.
The Teacher's infamous plea "I always said he'd come to no good in the end, Your Honour. . ." occurs moments later, but here we see the setup: the overbearing Mother looming above, gripping him by the scruff of the neck at the top of the Wall. The horizontal line delineates that ledge, situating the composition within Scarfe's surreal courtroom of guilt and humiliation.
Unlike the finished cel animation, which presents the Teacher as a limp, dangling puppet, this earlier concept explores a more primal exchange of control. The Mother's exaggerated, almost fleshy form contrasts with the angular, frantic Teacher, her heavy, maternal mass dominating his nervous energy. It's an image that distils Scarfe's dark wit and social satire, turning psychological repression into physical absurdity.
This stage of artwork bridges the gap between caricature and production, a developmental drawing that reveals how Scarfe shaped the emotional logic and visual geometry of The Trial. The linework carries more of his unmistakable hand: acerbic, elastic, and charged with theatrical cruelty.
An outstanding insight into the creative process behind one of Pink Floyd: The Wall's defining animated sequences, where control, punishment, and parental dominance are laid bare in pure line and form. Dimensions: 40.75 cm x 31.75 cm (16" x 12.5")
Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £300 - 600 US
View all lots from PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (1982)