William Robinson Leigh (1866-1955)

The Bear Tracker

Details

William Robinson Leigh (1866-1955)
The Bear Tracker
signed and dated 'W.R. Leigh 1941' (lower left)
oil on canvas
281/8 x 221/8 in. (71.4 x 56.2 cm.)

Provenance

Bonita Granville and Jack Wrather, circa 1975.
Private collection.
Sotheby's, New York, 25 May 1994, lot 49.
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Sale room notice

Please note that the present lot is Property From the Terra Foundation For the Arts Sold to Benefit the Acquistions Fund, and may be exempt from sales tax as set forth in the notice in the front of the catalogue.

Lot Essay

The Bear Tracker represents an ideal cowboy, alone on his horse, courageously tracking the his wild and elusive prey. Executed in 1941, this painting exhibits all of the hallmarks of Leigh's most desirable works. D. Duane Cummins writes, "From 1940 through 1950, Leigh reached the zenith of his performance as a western artist." (D.D. Cummins, William Robinson Leigh: Western Artist, Norman, Oklahoma, 1980, p. 152) In The Bear Tracker, Leigh distills his experiences as one of the foremost Western painters into a quiet and heroic representation of the dramatic American landscape.

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