Ron Embleton - Captain Scarlet art

Up for sale TOMORROW (2nd July 2025) is the most expensive piece of original art I think I've ever featured on the blog.

You can bid on it here. The opening bid is £11,000 and the auctioneer's estimate is £22,000 - £44,000 - at the time of typing there haven't been any bids but there are plenty of people watching this item.

I'll hopefully be able to report back with the hammer price later on

The lot is described thus...

Artwork by Ron Embleton -

A piece of original production artwork created by acclaimed artist Ron Embleton used in the final end title sequence for each episode of Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Ron Embleton (1930-1988) was one of Britain's foremost comic artists. Having illustrated Stingray and Captain Scarlet for TV Century 21, Embleton was chosen to create the definitive credit sequence art for Captain Scarlet, executed at the peak of his commercial work. Each end credit image was hand-painted and shot under a rostrum camera, with pinholes still visible at the corners.

Examples of Embleton's Captain Scarlet credit artwork are rarely offered for public sale. This piece is both a standalone artwork of striking visual drama and a documented artefact of Anderson's legacy, linking live-action puppetry, design, and high-end illustration at a unique cultural moment.

Only ten original paintings were created for the end credits sequence. Each board served as the background for two sets of scrolling credits. This painting is marked as number "10" in the bottom right corner and shows Captain Scarlet mid-stumble, evading a flaming joist as he dodges between barrels marked "HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE".

It is rendered in gouache and watercolour on a Daler board and comes with a separate acetate overlay sheet marked in chinagraph pencil. The overlay shows the camera crop and layout as the now-famous "Filmed in Supermarionation" title appears over this exact image. A paper guard marked "J19" and "J20" in red-coloured pencil is attached to the back of the board. The board's edge exhibits some light wear, and several small pin holes are present in the acetate. Provenance: Ex-Lot 161, TV Generation, Christie's, London, 11 July 2002. Dimensions: 39.5 cm x 54.5 cm x 0.25 cm (15.5" x 21.5" x 0.25")