On Thursday June 27th, 2019, the first publicly offered traditional works by Titus Lunter, a color study and thumbnail set for Temple of Malady, were sold on the MTG Art Market. The color study sold for $450; the thumbnail sheet for $225.
Temple of Malady Color Study by Titus Lunter, oil pastel on paper, 11.8” x 11.8”
Temple of Malady by Titus Lunter is a digital painting for Magic’s newest set, Core Set 2020, but has two traditional preliminary components: a color study and thumbnail sheet. The color study is a work of oil pastel on paper and the thumbnails graphite on paper, both measuring 11.8 inches by 11.8 inches. While Titus has done some color studies for previous Magic cards, this is the first offered for sale in a public forum. It was auctioned on the MTG Art Market by Mark Aronowitz acting as agent for the artist, and seems it will not be the last piece of traditional art for Lunter.
Temple of Malady was first printed during the Theros block. The revisiting of the Temple series not only inserts these cards into the Standard format, but hints at a potential return to the Greek-inspired plane within the next two years.
Titus Lunter is perhaps best known for his basic lands, as they make up 46 of his 110 published Magic cards. Add in his work on non-basic lands (another 21), and it becomes quite obvious Lunter is one of the most prolific land artists in the history of game, responsible for visually building the worlds of many of Magic’s most popular planes.
Collectors of any genre want to own what the the artist is known for, and a land by Lunter is exactly this. This auction also showcases that not all original Magic art sells in the thousands, and that there is an opportunity to own a fabulous piece of art by one of the game’s best artists, for less than the price of a Revised Dual Land.
Owning a piece of Magic art changes how you interact with cards, sets, and the brand in general, and its artworks like these that allow player’s a deeper connection to Magic and the game we all love.