166

VERSO
Artist’s typed description of the painting

Whisky, Whisky was awarded the Gold Medal for oil at the 1973 CAA exhibtion.

The Limited Edition (#1/100) Cowboy Artists of America Eighth Annual Exhibition catalog signed by 25 members of the CA (1973) as well as the May/June 2015 issue of Muzzleloader magazine will accompany the lot.

Describing this painting the artist wrote, “In the 1820’s there was an immense area beyond the Missouri River to be harvested for furs. Various firms engaged men and equipment to enter this unknown area for the purpose of trapping the trading furs, primarily beaver pelts in these early days. A fixed meeting place or rendezvous was set each year where all were to meet the following year to transact business, to trade and to celebrate. The rendezvous were held in the summer when the year’s trapping was over. The trappers and Indians came in with their furs to trade and the wagons and packs of the different firms from the States came loaded with trinkets, necessities, coffee, gunpowder, lead, guns, etc., but a large part of the load was the cheap whisky, which was watered down to further increase the trading firm’s profits, and which added much to the hilarity of the gathering. The celebrating began as soon as the kegs of alcohol could be gotten out of the supply train or off the mules. With whisky flowing freely there were few dull moments at a mountain rendezvous. In addition to the necessary business transactions the socializing was an important part of the gathering to these lonely mountain men who were living hard and endangered lives away from civilization the rest of the year.

“Many of these rendezvous were held in the Green River Valley on the West side of the Green River Range between the New Fork River and Horse Creek.

“In the picture a small group of trappers come whooping into a Green River Rendezvous. They are being lured on by the sight of whisky and old friends.”

PROVENANCE
The Artist
[Phoenix Art Museum, Cowboy Artists of America], 1973
Donna Mengert Collection, AZ, 1973

EXHIBITED
Eighth Annual Exhibition, Cowboy Artists of America, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ, Sep 14 - Nov 14, 1973

LITERATURE
Exhibition catalog, Eighth Annual Exhibition, Cowboy Artists of America (Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press, 1973), pages 14-15, illustrated
Walt Reed, John Clymer: An Artist’s Rendezvous with the Frontier West (Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press, 1976), pages 112-113, illustrated
Paul Weaver (intro), The Western Paintings of John Clymer (New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1977), plate 34, illustrated
Muzzleloader magazine (Gallatin, TN: Jason W. Gatliff, May/June 2015), front cover, illustrated

Condition ReportSurface condition excellent. One small spot of inpainting lower right corner at edge of frame.

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.