87

William R. Leigh (1866-1955), Grizzly's End, 1948
Dimensions: 25 x 40
Framed/base Dimensions: 33 1/4 x 48 1/4 x 3 1/4
Signature: signed and dated lower left: W.R. Leigh 1948 ©

oil on canvas
25 x 40 in.

  • Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, New York, NY (label verso)
    Sotheby's New York, December 1984, Lot 104
    Acquired by KSA Industries, Inc. (label verso) from the above
  • Literature: June Dubois, W. R. Leigh: The Definitive Illustrated Biography, The Lowell Press, Kansas City, 1977, illus. p. 77
    The Kennedy Quarterly, vol. iv, number two, December 1963, illus. p. 83, fig. 79
  • Notes:

    Titans of the American West from KSA Industries, Inc: A Bud Adams Company

    W.R. Leigh visited Wyoming for the first time in 1910 as part of a hunting expedition, and he returned to grizzly country several summers between 1910 and 1921. He reveled in Wyoming’s unblemished wilderness, exploring the countryside on foot and painting en plein air. Witnessing the hunts first-hand provided Leigh with a wealth of inspiration and lent an authentic quality to his sporting works.

    Famed for his vivid and energetic depictions of life in the wilderness, here Leigh creates a dynamic narrative that immerses viewers in a pivotal moment of action and tension. Leigh’s use of crisp, natural light highlights the textures of the animals' coats and the intricate detail of the hunter’s outfit. Warm tones in the foreground contrast with the cool, shadowed snow in the background, drawing the eye toward the central figures and the fallen bear. Each figure brims with energy— the hunter braces against his horse, the horse resists the pull, and the dogs, alert and attentive, signal the tension still lingering in the air.

    Leigh’s excellence in portraying dramatic action, a trademark of his work, peaked in the last 15 years of his life, when Grizzly’s End was painted. This important work depicts the interplay between wilderness and human endeavor, with the grizzly bear serving as a powerful symbol of untamed nature and the vanishing Western frontier. The hunter’s dominance over the horse and triumph over the bear illustrates mastery, yet the chaotic scene serves as a reminder of nature’s unpredictability and the delicate balance settlers had to maintain with their surroundings.

    Through his use of dynamic composition, vibrant color, and precise detail, Leigh exemplifies his mastery in capturing the raw drama of the American West, blending European academic technique with a visceral frontier narrative.

  • Condition: The painting appears to be in very good condition. It presents well with vibrant colors. There are scattered areas of cracquelure, mainly in the snow, sky and ground, but nothing in the figures or animals. The paint layer is stable. The painting was viewed under blacklight and shows a minor area of scattered inpainting behind the horse and dog at center, a minor spot of inpainting at the upper left, a small dot of inpainting to the left of the saddle pommel, two small dots of inpainting under the horse's belly, minor dots of inpainting above the bear, a 1 7/8 inch line of inpainting at the upper right frame edge, minor areas of inpainting in the snow near the horse's leg and below the bear, and two minor spots of inpainting in the lower right dog's left hindquarter. The frame appears to be in very good condition with a minor miter split at the upper right.

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