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Lot Essay
In an introduction to the monograph published for the first major retrospective of Henry Farny's work in many years, Millard F. Rogers, Jr., Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum noted, "Among painters of the American Indian and the West, there is none better than Henry F. Farny...no one equaled Farny's careful rendering of the western landscape, his strong yet sympathetic depiction of the American Indian, and his well-crafted and lucid painting of dramatic incidents in the Far West. Equally accomplished in oil or gouache, Farny concentrated on a limited genre and found ready patronage. Today's collectors have the same eager appreciation of Farny's glimpses of the old and now-disappeared West that his patrons did at the turn of the century." (Henry Farny, New York, 1978, p. 11)
In the present work, Farny presents an intimate yet expansive view of the West. The viewer is presented with a superbly detailed depiction of a Native American in the foreground, standing confidently at the ready with rifle in one hand and the rein of his horse in the other hand. The forward placement of this figure group immediately draws the viewer into the scene. A subtle diagonal line suggested by Farny's rendering of the topography leads the viewer to a group of Native Americans and teepees at left and then further into the background and the brilliantly lit buttes that stretch along the horizon. The combination of a strong horizontal format, a high contrasting horizon line in the distance and tactical grouping of figures became something of a formula for Farny once he recognized the balance and strength it could lend his images. Many of Farny's most successful works employ this characteristic composition. Denny Carter writes that "even when the balance of Farny's compositions is asymmetrical, it is responsible for the quietism and stability of his paintings. This balance expresses both the permanence of the landscape and its dominance over the Indian inhabitants who seem to live in harmony with the landscape." (Henry Farny, p. 28)
The co-existence of man and nature in the present work is underscored by the subdued yet accurate palette that Farny has employed. The muted yet rich tones of pale greens and blue contrasted against the warm tones of the butte reinforce this feeling of open expanse and a landscape that is still pure. The innocence of the figures in the landscape perhaps serve as a prelude to the encroachment of outsiders on their dwindling lands. For Farny, poignant scenes were not conveyed with action filled scenes crowded with figures. On the contrary, his sparse compositions direct his viewers to seriously contemplate his complex subject.
In the present work, Farny presents an intimate yet expansive view of the West. The viewer is presented with a superbly detailed depiction of a Native American in the foreground, standing confidently at the ready with rifle in one hand and the rein of his horse in the other hand. The forward placement of this figure group immediately draws the viewer into the scene. A subtle diagonal line suggested by Farny's rendering of the topography leads the viewer to a group of Native Americans and teepees at left and then further into the background and the brilliantly lit buttes that stretch along the horizon. The combination of a strong horizontal format, a high contrasting horizon line in the distance and tactical grouping of figures became something of a formula for Farny once he recognized the balance and strength it could lend his images. Many of Farny's most successful works employ this characteristic composition. Denny Carter writes that "even when the balance of Farny's compositions is asymmetrical, it is responsible for the quietism and stability of his paintings. This balance expresses both the permanence of the landscape and its dominance over the Indian inhabitants who seem to live in harmony with the landscape." (Henry Farny, p. 28)
The co-existence of man and nature in the present work is underscored by the subdued yet accurate palette that Farny has employed. The muted yet rich tones of pale greens and blue contrasted against the warm tones of the butte reinforce this feeling of open expanse and a landscape that is still pure. The innocence of the figures in the landscape perhaps serve as a prelude to the encroachment of outsiders on their dwindling lands. For Farny, poignant scenes were not conveyed with action filled scenes crowded with figures. On the contrary, his sparse compositions direct his viewers to seriously contemplate his complex subject.