On June 22, 2019, the original painting for Chris Rahn’s Chandra, Awakened Inferno from Core Set 2020 sold on eBay for an extraordinary $28,600.
Chandra, Awakened Inferno by Chris Rahn, oil on gessobaord, 24” x 26”
Chandra, Awakened Inferno by Chris Rahn is a work of oil on gessoboard measuring an unusually large 24 inches by 36 inches, a gargantuan work even for an artist that paints his Planeswalkers larger than life. This was one of the first cards revealed for Magic’s upcoming set Core Set 2020, where Chandra is the title character for the entire expansion.
The auction started at Rahn’s standard $599.99 and climbed slowly over the seven-day sale. But in wonderful climactic fashion, the auction moved more than $10,000 in the last minute from $18,800 to the almost unimaginable price realized of $28,600. While original Magic artwork of contemporary Planeswalkers is beginning to push into and past the $30,000 threshold; it’s still startling to watch these auctions conclude, especially when they begin so very far from where they end.
Chris Rahn is closing in on the 200-card mark for MTG illustrations, a monumental milestone in Magic for an artist of the game. He has illustrated 32 legendary cards and eleven Planeswalkers, with this being his second rendition of Chandra after his version of Chandra, Pyromaster in Archenemy: Nicol Bolas.
Rahn has become the signature illustrator for Magic Planeswalkers, and it appears he will continue to hold that role for the foreseeable future.