""Frazetta didn't just illustrate stories - he reinvented them," said Heritage executive VP Joe Maddalena via a press release. "With Berserker, he transformed Conan from a pulp hero into an elemental force. This single image captures his genius for channeling raw power and psychological depth through composition, gesture and light. It stands as a masterpiece of illustration, and a testament to how profoundly popular art can move us.""
"Hammett, a known collector of horror and fantasy art, acquired "Berserker" directly from Frazetta in 2009 for $1 million - an unprecedented figure at the time. "It was a very fortunate acquisition, and I really enjoyed my time with it," said Hammett of the painting in a video posted by Heritage. "But as time goes on, I realize that my tastes are constantly changing. So now, I've decided that it's time for me to move on from this painting.""
Kirk Hammett is putting Franz Frazetta's original Conan the Conqueror (Berserker) on the auction block with a $10 million starting bid through Heritage Auctions. The painting, created in 1967 for the Lancer paperback, updated Conan's aesthetics and influenced decades of fantasy art. The image also served as the 1980 sleeve for Molly Hatchet's Beatin' the Odds. Frazetta's Man Ape (Conan the Barbarian) fetched $13.5 million in September 2025, a record for fantasy art. Hammett acquired Berserker directly from Frazetta in 2009 for $1 million and now says he is ready to move on.
Read at Consequence
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]