Out in the Wild

Strong wildlife and Western works lead to high numbers at the 14th annual Jackson Hole Art Auction.

On September 19, the Jackson Hole Art Auction offered top-quality Western, wildlife, sporting and landscape art to bidders. The 303-lot sale realized more than $5.2 million, with more than 90 percent of lots sold. The auction also noted that more than 30 percent of the lots sold exceeded their high estimates. Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Cascade Falls, Yosemite, 1905, oil on canvas, 30¼ x 20” Estimate: $750/1,250,000 SOLD: $946,000

Auction partner Maryvonne Leshe was pleased with the results. “It was a great sale, and almost everything found a new home, which is always nice,” she says. “It was also nice seeing some of the pieces really take an interest with bidders, including our [Thomas] Moran painting and a really wonderful [Howard] Terpning.”Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), Red Fox Airborne, 1994, acrylic on Masonite, 16 x 26” Estimate: $50/75,000 SOLD: $178,500

The Moran, a 1905 oil titled Cascade Falls, Yosemite, was estimated at $750,000 to $1.25 million. It sold solidly within estimates at $946,000. The vertical work showed a waterfall amid a moody and misty scene with deep greens. The Terpning work, It’s Been a Long Day, showed a Native American figure trudging through thick snow in front of his horse. It was expected to sell between $200,000 and $300,000, but exceeded both values when it sold for $321,300.John Coleman, 1876, Gall – Sitting Bull – Crazy Horse, bronze, ed. 5 of 5, 55 x 96 x 36” Estimate: $80/120,000 SOLD: $142,800

Other noteworthy lots included G. Harvey’s Good Wage Wranglers (est. $125/175,000) that sold for $226,100, Bob Kuhn’s Red Fox Airborne (est. $50/75,000) that soared to $178,500, and two John Clymer works: Hunting Country (est. $60/90,000) that sold for $130,900, and In the Dead of Winter (est. $150/250,000) that sold for $113,050.

John Coleman had a particularly great streak that ran for 18 straight lots, 17 of which were bronzes. When it was all said and done, Coleman works had achieved a total of $417,000. Highlights from those works were a small version of Mystic Smoke and Arrows that sold above estimates for $32,725 and 1876, Gall – Sitting Bull – Crazy Horse, which also sold above estimates for $142,800.John Clymer (1907-1989), Hunting Country, oil on board, 10 x 20” Estimate: $60/90,000 SOLD: $130,900

G. Harvey (1933-2017), Good Wage Wranglers, oil on canvas, 30 x 50” Estimate: $125/175,000 SOLD: $226,100

One of the 18 world records broken during the sale came from a relative newcomer to Western art, Thomas Blackshear II, whose painting Swan Song flew right past its $30,000 high estimate, eventually stopping at $77,350. The record was especially exciting for Leshe, who represents Blackshear at Trailside Galleries. “Thomas is offering a refreshing take on the West, and doing so with a contemporary flair. He calls his work Western Nouveau, and it features traditional cowboys and Native American imagery all done in a beautifully drawn style,” says Trailside Galleries owner Maryvonne Leshe. “He’s offering a fresh and unique look of the West and collectors are responding to that.”

Other top-selling artists include Oscar E. Berninghaus, Carl Rungius, Tucker Smith, Martin Grelle and Gordon Snidow. —

TOP 10 Lots: Jackson Hole Art Auction, September 19, 2020 (with buyer’s premiums)
Artist Title Low /High Estimate SOLD
Thomas Moran Cascade Falls, Yosemite $750/1,250,000 $946,000
Howard Terpning It’s Been a Long Day $200/300,000 $321,300
G. Harvey Good Wage Wranglers $125/175,000 $226,100
Bob Kuhn Red Fox Airborne $50/75,000 $178,500
Carl Rungius Wyoming Elk $150/250,000 $148,750
Oscar E. Berninghaus The Lookout $125/175,000 $142,800
John Coleman 1876, Gall – Sitting Bull – Crazy Horse $80/120,000 $142,800
John Clymer Hunting Country $60/90,000 $130,900
Martin Grelle Wedding Preparations $150/250,000 $113,050
John Clymer In the Dead of Winter $150/250,000 $113,050
Martin Grelle Cheyenne Remnants $150/250,000 $107,100