80

Sold to benefit the collection acquisition funds of the Petrie Institute of Western American Art at the Denver Art Museum.

For a travelling W. Herbert Dunton retrospective in 1991-92, Michael R. Grauer wrote, “Dunton was one of a few artists who could lend authenticity to Western illustrations because he had been a part of it, albeit as it was passing away. Like many of his fellows, he was a great collector of Western garb and weapons. Yet, Dunton’s authenticity transcends mere gear and trappings into the arena of believable Western figures, characters, and situations. Unlike the more well-known Wyeth, for example, Dunton never exaggerated poses or distorted facial expressions to the point of caricature.

“To be sure, Dunton’s figures are cut from the Cowboy Hero mold. They are, nevertheless, believable, and this believability separates Dunton from his illustrator peers. Generally, Dunton’s illustrations rarely contain the air of artificiality of fantasy integral to the work of most illustrators. While cleaned-up to a certain extent, he still allowed the dirt and grit of the West to seep into his pictures: Dunton’s West was not a dream, it was real!”

PROVENANCE:
Property from the Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado

Condition ReportOriginal and unlined canvas. Slight bar marks on left and right sides. Surface condition very good. Half inch line of inpainting along top edge. Half inch line of inpainting along right edge. Quarter inch line of inpainting along lower-left edge. Six inch vertical line of hairline inpainting along left bar mark. Multiple quarter inch diameter spots of inpainting throughout sky, left of horse. Two inch diameter spot of inpainting to right of cowboy. Multiple specks of inpainting in the lower-left corner of the piece.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders; such statements are educated opinions and should not be regarded as facts. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has no responsibility for any errors or omissions.