John Moran Auctioneers has to only point at its calendar to prove its support of Western art: Western art has five sales a year, while other genres at the auction house have only two.
“Western art is an important component to us,” says Katherine Halligan, the director of fine art at John Moran Auctioneers. “It has the benefit of not only historic artists, but living artists, as well as collectors in the West and the East. It such a big region and it encompasses so much.”
Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953), Delphiniums, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in. Estimate: $10/15,000
The California-based auction house will present its next Western sale, Art of the American West, on November 19, with more than 425 lots spread across fine art (paintings and bronzes) and also Native American material such as pottery, basketry, carvings, weavings and jewelry. “It runs the gamut,” Halligan says.
Being offered in the sale is Joseph Henry Sharp’s floral still life Delphiniums (est. $10/15,000) and Randy Van Beek’s oil Blackfoot Lake Camp (est. $4/6,000).
“The Sharp has a lot of presence in person. [His florals] represents a unique subsection of his artistic output,” Halligan says. “This has these gorgeous subtle shades of violet with these amazing deeper purples of the delphinium, which are paired nicely with the patterned tablecloth.”
Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), Hunter and Bear, 1916, gouache on paper, 16 x 11 in. Estimate: $6/8,000
The sale will also feature Maynard Dixon’s 1916 gouache Hunter and Bear, which shows a Native American figure coming face to face with a bear. The work has a humorous tone to it, especially when examining the bear, which has its front paws clasped together, as if in prayer. “Dixon was being a little irreverent and comedic. There is also level of violence and drama that represents a different kind of comedic standoff,” Halligan says.
Other artists represented in the sale include Olaf Wieghorst, Allan Houser, David Mann and many others. —
Art of the American West
November 19, 2025, 10 a.m.
John Moran Auctioneers
145 E. Walnut Avenue
Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 793-1833, www.johnmoran.com
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