Double Bonus painting auction

Double Bonus painting auction

May 14, 2004 - The painting, called Double Bonus, is expected to garner anywhere between 180,000 to 250,000 euros ($215,000 to $300,000). The painting appears to be a section of a modified Bally Fireball playfield. 

Sotheby's describes the painting, writing, “Double Bonus is the detail enlargement of a pinball game. It brings back the classic elements of these games which were at the center of the American bar scene and later European as well, as the symbol of the American Way of Life. Without telling a story, Bell merely sticks closely to a reality finding here all its glamour. Precision, special effects of lights and shadows, he pushes the spectator from side to side without ever allowing him to pause. The eye, such is the pinball, goes from one detail to another, dragged as it seems in an endless play. This dynamic in constant animation gives this work all its rightness. 

“The pinball series holds a special place in the works of Charles Bell. Started in 1977, there are 38 examples of it, the last one, Finis Coronat Opus dating from 1995, year of his passing. It is, along with the “toys” series, the infrastructure of a work where game and odds always had a place of their own. It is by itself the most accurate reflection of Pierre Lescure's collection.” 

Gary Stern says, “The art world recognizes pinball games as an American Icon and pinball art as a beautiful art form. This further explains why pinball machines will always have great value.” 

Charles Bell pinball lithographs and prints are much less expensive than the large Double Bonus original painting. Depending on the selection, however, a lithograph will cost about the same as a new or used pinball machine. Prints are available for much less. 

To learn more about lithographs, contact the Florida Art Gallery in Deland, FL at 386-740-1209 or visit their website at www.fineart-gallery.com. For prints, see www.podgallery.com.