Thrill of the Hunt

Bidders go hard on rising talent, established stars and iconic masters at The Russell Reignited.

One of the great joys that comes with watching the C.M. Russell Museum’s annual auction event known as The Russell—this year it’s called The Russell Reignited—is knowing that bidding can soar into the stratosphere at any moment. Of course, this can happen at any auction, but it happens so frequently at The Russell that it’s almost uncanny. The phenomena happens with high-dollar items from the masters, mid-tier works from established stars and great lower-tier items with four-digit estimates. Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), High, Wide, and Handsome, 1919, watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper, 16 x 12½” Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $468,000

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Antelope Hunting, 1894, watercolor, 22½ x 33” Estimate: $175/275,000 SOLD: $198,900

It happened again, many times, when The Russel Reignited kicked off August 18 in Great Falls, Montana. By the end of the four-day event, the sale had achieved nearly $2.5 million in sales with a 95 percent sell-through rate.

As usual, the works by Charles M. Russell performed well, including the bucking-horse painting High, Wide & Handsome (est. $400/500,000) that sold for $468,000, but so did a number of other key works from artists of all stripes. Take, for instance, Joe Kronenberg’s creek-crossing painting Homeward Bound. The piece was slated to sell between $10,500 and $15,500, but after the dust cleared the work had sold for $40,200, creating a new world auction record for Kronenberg. Jeremy Winborg, Pitamakan: Braver than the Braves, oil on canvas, 33 x 50” Estimate: $28/32,000 SOLD: $84,000

And there were many others: Randy Van Beek set an auction world record with his piece Hunters Return to Saint Mary Camp (est. $19/24,000) when it sold for $30,800, Arturo Padilla broke a record when his piece Riding the Morning Light (est. $12/15,000) sold for $28,000, and Brenna Kimbro set an auction world record for her work when her bronze piece Beauty (est. $6/8,000) sold for $28,000. Another artist to break a personal record was Colt Idol, whose oil Long Haul (est. $8,500/11,500) sold for $25,200. Participation at all levels as strong at the sale, and is continuing to get stronger year after year. Andy Thomas, Lighting up Dodge, oil on canvas, 28 x 42” Estimate: $42/50,000 SOLD: $61,600

Jason Rich, Wild Horse Ridge, oil on canvas, 30 x 48” Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $64,400

Other top works were Russell’s Antelope Hunting (est. $175/275,000) that sold for $198,900; Jeremy Winborg’s highly anticipated work Pitamakan: Braver than the Braves (est. $28/32,000) that sold for $84,000; Jason Rich’s Wild Horse Ridge (est. $25/35,000) that sold for $64,400; and Andy Thomas’ high-action painting Lighting up Dodge (est. $42/50,000), which sold for $61,600. —

The Russell Reignited, August 19-20, 2022 (including buyer’s premium)
Artist Title Low/High Estimate SOLD
Charles M. Russell High, Wide and Handsome $400/500,000 $468,000
Charles M. Russell Antelope Hunting $175/275,000 $198,900
Charles M. Russell I climbed fast, and stuck my head out $75/100,000 $111,150
Jeremy Winborg Pitamakan: Braver than the Braves $28/32,000 $84,000
Jason Rich Wild Horse Ridge $25/35,000 $64,400
Andy Thomas Lighting up Dodge $42/50,000 $61,600
Olaf C. Seltzer The Sentinel $40/60,000 $58,500
John Fery Mount Cleveland from Grossley Lake $40/60,000 $43,875
Joe Kronenberg Homeward Bound $10,500/15,500 $42,000
Randy Van Beek Hunters Return to Saint Mary Camp $19/24,000 $30,800