Property sold by the order of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES of THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

William Ritschel (1864-1949)

Desert Wanderer, Navajo

Details

William Ritschel (1864-1949)
Desert Wanderer, Navajo
signed and dated 'W. Ritschel/1912' (lower left)
oil on canvas tacked over panel
47 5/8 x 58 in. (120.9 x 147.3 cm.)

Exhibited

London, England, Anglo-American Exhibition, 1914.
Boston, Massachusetts, Boston Art Club, n.d.

Lot Essay

Born in Germany and typically identified with his scenes of the California coast, William Ritschel also spent time in New York and in 1895 alligned himself with members of The Ten such as Childe Hassam, J. Alden Weir, and Willard Metcalf before he headed West in 1901 where he painted the Grand Canyon and scenes in Navajo country. Composed with an atmospheric light and overall Tonalist palette no doubt influenced by his time with members of The Ten on the East Coast, Desert Wanderer, Navajo is an impressively scaled work showing the artist's breadtth of talent and reverence for the life and landscape in Navajo country.