2015 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction / Lot 126265 / 290  •  View Catalog  •   • 

126
Howard Terpning (b. 1927)
Bad Medicine Crossing (1996)
oil on canvas
40 × 30 inches
signed and dated lower left

In Spirit of the Plains People, Don Hedgpeth wrote, “Danger went hand in hand with the breath-taking beauty of the western wilderness. The ideal of the Indian in perfect harmony with his natural surroundings has been overstated. There is a clear threat here in the shadow of steep banks that fall away into the rocky riverbed and rushing wild water. Two Crow warriors prod their ponies into the rush and roar, pushing toward the far bank beyond. The depth of the water is less a concern to them than the depth of their courage. A man could perish in such a place and leave bad medicine behind. The spirits of those who had died here would not rest easy.”

PROVENANCE
The Artist
[Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ, 1996]
Private Collection, MI, 1996

EXHIBITED
The Great American West, Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ, Nov 1996

LITERATURE
Exhibition catalog, The Great American West (Tucson, AZ: Settlers West Galleries), page 8, illustrated
Don Hedgpeth, Spirit of the Plains People (Shelton, CT: The Greenwich Workshop, 2001), page 66, illustrated

126

Howard Terpning

b. 1927

Bad Medicine Crossing (1996)
oil on canvas
40 × 30 inches
signed and dated lower left
Sold at Auction: $641,000
Condition ReportSurface condition excellent with no signs of inpainting.

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.