05 Mar AUCTION BLOCK: WESTERN TREASURES LASSO TOP DOLLARS

The Western art market continues to thrive, as evidenced by auctions and events held this winter. From historic artifacts and fine Western paintings to contemporary Native American artwork and cowboy collectibles, recent sales have attracted collectors eager to own a piece of the American West.

Notable highlights include works by Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, and Frederic Remington, which were offered during Christie’s 19th Century American and Western Art auction in January. And Sotheby’s Art of the Americas brought a selection of important Western works that contributed to a total of more than $8.6 million.

White Bull’s Historic Ledger and Story Book | 14 x 8.5 x .75 inches | 162 pages | Sold: $270,600 | Courtesy of Morphy’s Old West Auction

Meanwhile, events like the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale tallied more than $1.4 million, the highest total in the show’s history, and Bonhams’ California & Western Art auction underscored the growing demand for both historic and contemporary Western artworks.

Morphy’s Old West Auction

January 24, 2025
Total: $1.9 million

Edward H. Bohlin “Machris” Parade Saddle | Leather, Sterling Silver, Gold | Sold: $233,700

Morphy’s January 24 auction of Western and Native American art, relics, and memorabilia at the Westgate Las Vegas resort drew a roomful of bidders, each intent on claiming a piece of authentic cowboy history. This year’s annual event rounded up to $1.9 million, with top-lot honors going to a historically important ledger book documenting Lakota Sioux tribal history.

Created and maintained by Chief Sitting Bull’s nephew, White Bull [1849–1947], the 162-page ledger was specifically intended to document battles in the West. The book, consisting of 120 narrative pages, 33 illustrated color pages, and 28 additional pages that were either blank or faced drawings, was competitively bid to $270,600, more than twice its high estimate.

“What made it especially unique was that it was a personal and original biographical account of battles, coups, combats, and even included winter population counts of the Sioux,” said Dan Morphy, president of Morphy Auctions. “White Bull claimed to have killed General Custer — which may or may not have been true — but the book does record what appears to be his fight with Custer, in addition to many of the other battles in which he was personally involved.”

Another item that exceeded its high estimate was an Edward H. Bohlin sterling silver and gold parade saddle in original condition, which had been custom-made in the late 1930s for a noted equestrienne, Louise Cottam of Santa Barbara, California. Together with a matching bridle, second breast collar, and saddle set, and with provenance from the celebrated George Pitman collection of Rancho Santa Fe, California, it sold for $233,700, above its high estimate of $150,000.

Steeped in Old West lore, a Henry Model 1860 lever-action rifle was identified through its serial number as having been from a 90-gun shipment sent to Fort Knox, Maine, in 1864. Stamped with the name of its New England destination, the gun was issued to Lieutenant Ezra Rideout, who served with the 15th Maine. In 1869, Ezra gave the rifle to his brother, Jacob Rideout, a traveling preacher whose documented Kansas acquaintances included Wild Bill Hickok, John Wesley Hardin, the infamous sheriff William “Buffalo Bully” Brooks, and quite likely the Earp brothers. Engraved Jacob Rideout / Contention Arizona Ter., the fabled longarm is shown in two classic reference books. At auction, it sold for $41,820, near its high estimate of $40,000.

Another item with Western celebrity status was an inscribed sword-stick cane presented to Buffalo Bill Cody on his 45th birthday in 1891, which sold for $15,600, above its high estimate of $10,000.

The auction gave collectors of silver spurs ample choice, with 55 lots showcasing many of the greatest names in Western silverwork. Notably, a pair of massive double-mounted shield and dome-mounted sterling silver spurs by Qualey Bros sold just shy of their high estimate for $29,520.

Additional equestrian regalia included a J Tapia bridle made in the early 1900s, which displayed the maker’s characteristic stylized cheeks and a slobber-bar adorned with raised, domed, multi-petal florals. It sold for $23,370, above the high estimate of $20,000.

Antique horsehair bridles made by inmates in Western penitentiaries comprise a popular collecting category. Morphy’s offered a particularly nice example, painstakingly crafted at Deer Lodge Montana State Penitentiary with a hitched round slider on the reins; hot pink, blue, and red “diamond” patterns on a yellow ground; and multicolored horsehair tassels. It attracted 13 bids before settling near its high estimate at $14,400.

The January auction also offered nearly 100 pieces of fine art. Highlights include an oil painting by WHD Koerner [1878–1938], Jubilo Where Did You Sleep Last Night, which realized $19,200, below estimates of $30,000 to $40,000. And a Harry Jackson mixed-media and bronze sculpture on a marble base, Pony Express II, sold for $17,220, above its estimate of $8,000 to $10,000.

Sotheby’s Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West

January 24, 2025
Total: $8.6 million+

With a focus on 19th-century landscapes, historical subject matter, still lifes, and Western scenes, Sotheby’s Art of the Americas, Featuring the American West offered paintings, drawings, sculpture, and photographs by leading artists working across the American continents. The auction featured nearly 100 artworks over two sessions and brought more than $8.6 million in sales.

Martin Johnson Heade’s Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids led the auction as the top-selling item; the painting sold above its high estimate of $1.8 million for more than $2 million. Upon returning from his final trip to South America in 1870, Heade’s artistic practice had a singular focus on capturing the region’s lush flora and fauna. Painted between 1875 and 1883, Hummingbirds depicts the Cattleya dowiana, which is among Heade’s favorite orchids.

Martin Johnson Heade, Hummingbirds and Gold and Purple Orchids | Oil on Canvas | 14 x 22.25 inches | Sold: $2 million

Also of note, Albert Bierstadt’s Yosemite sold for $780,000, amid estimates of $700,000 to $1 million. The notion of a skilled American painter documenting the West firsthand was largely unprecedented, and Bierstadt immediately capitalized on the public’s intrigue. In August 1863, he obtained support to travel to Yosemite for the first time and spent seven weeks camping there as part of a five-month expedition. In a letter from 1863, the artist described Yosemite as the Garden of Eden and “the most magnificent place I was ever in.”

Another top-selling item was Henry François Farny’s The Happy Days of Long Ago. The work, painted in 1912, captures a resonant harmony between man and nature and stands at the heart of Farny’s most celebrated scenes of everyday Native American life. It sold for $780,000, above its high estimate of $700,000, and previously resided in the Cincinnati Art Museum and was on loan at the White House for five years between 1981 and 1986.

Albert Bierstadt, Yosemite | Oil on Canvas | 20.25 x 30.25 inches | Sold: $780,000

Additional top lots included a painting by Norman Rockwell, Tender Years: Moth Holes, which sold for $540,000 (estimate: $500,000–$700,000); Frederic Remington’s The Broncho Buster, which brought $576,000 (estimate: $250,000–$350,000); and Eanger Irving Couse’s Twilight, Taos Pueblo, which achieved $384,000 (estimate: $400,000–$600,000).

Christie’s American Sublime: Property from an Important Private Collection and 19th Century American and Western Art

January 23, 2025
Total: $19.2 million+

Thomas Cole, Mount Chocorua, New Hampshire | Oil on Gessoed Panel | 23 x 32.5 inches | Sold: $1.6 million

The enduring strength of the American art market was on display during two late-January auctions hosted by Christie’s, American Sublime: Property from an Important Private Collection and 19th Century American and Western Art. The auctions totaled more than $19.2 million and established records for Thomas Cole, Homer Dodge Martin, and Arnold Friberg.

Cole’s evocative landscape, Mount Chocorua, New Hampshire, led the American Sublime auction and achieved a record amount of more than $1.6 million, above the high estimate of $1.2 million. The artist’s depictions of the American wilderness launched the nation’s first art movement, the Hudson River School, according to the auction house. This tradition of landscape painting dominated the first part of the 19th century and helped Americans formulate a nationalistic interest in the grandeur and scenic beauty of nature found in their own country. First visited by the artist in 1827 — the year this work was painted — Mount Chocorua in the White Mountains of New Hampshire would become one of Cole’s favorite subjects.

Other highlights from the American Sublime sale include: Raphaelle Peale’s Still Life with Raisin Cake, which brought $567,000 (estimate: $250,000–$350,000); Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Winter Evening in the Country, which fetched $403,200 (estimate: $200,000–$300,000); and Jane Peterson’s Gloucester Harbor, which sold for $378,000 (estimate: $120,000–$180,000).

The top-selling item in the 19th Century American and Western Art auction was Martin Johnson Heade’s Magnolias on a Shiny Table, which brought more than $1.5 million, above its high estimate of $1 million. Heade’s magnolia paintings are widely acknowledged as the masterworks of the artist’s still-life oeuvre.

The auction also saw notable results for two landscapes: Thomas Moran’s Grand View Trail (estimate: $600,000–$800,000) and Albert Bierstadt’s A Rest on the Ride (estimate: $800,000–$1.2 million ), which each sold for more than $1.1 million.

Also of note, Frederic Remington’s bronze, The Mountain Man, brought $630,000, above its high estimate of $250,000. The sculpture immortalizes a scene of frontier life as a trapper and horse sharply descend a rugged pass. To depict the movement of the horse accurately, the artist relied on his collection of photographs of military officers and a live model: his friend and military Rough Rider, General Leonard Wood, who had served in the Spanish-American War. Because Remington wished to emphasize the high, steep slope of the mountain path, The Mountain Man is several inches higher than his other bronzes.

Christie’s also set records for paintings by Homer Dodge Martin (Adirondack Lake, $176,400) and Arnold Friberg (In the Waters of Manitou, $126,000).

Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale

January 7 – 26, 2025
Total: $1.4 million+

The 2025 Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale brought more than $1.4 million, the highest total in the show’s 32-year history. The annual event, which kicked off the Denver Stock Show, also achieved records in attendance. The art show opened with a Red Carpet Reception on January 7, 2025, and was displayed through January 26 at the National Stock Show complex.

Eighty-five artists were in the exhibition, and Logan Maxwell Hagege, Duke Beardsley (the 2025 Coors featured artist), Nocona Burgess, S.M. Chavez, Dan Young, Brandon Bailey, Nancy Bass, Teal Blake, and Shawn Cameron marked significant sales throughout the evening, according to event organizers. In total, collectors purchased 212 paintings; 90 prints, photographs, or multimedia works; and 29 three-dimensional pieces.

J. Ken Spencer, Holstein Heaven | Oil on Linen | 30 x 48 inches | Best in Show

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the 2025 edition of the Coors Western Art Show,” says Curator Kate Hlavin. “To see increases in both sales and attendees was quite an accomplishment for us. We also were happy to add additional programming with the Winter West Symposium, and collectors loved the artist demonstrations and the panel discussion. We promise more of this for next year as well.”

Awards were announced during the Blue Jean Preview on January 6 to honor exceptional artistic merit: J. Ken Spencer’s painting Holstein Heaven earned Best in Show; Thomas Blackshear’s Big Gun and Edward Aldrich’s Departure tied for the Artists’ Choice Award; and Joseph McGurl’s The River Flows earned the People’s Choice Award.

Thomas Blackshear, Big Gun | Oil on Canvas | 38 x 26 inches | Artists’ Choice Award

The 2025 Mary Belle Grant Award was given to artists who have been in the show for more than 20 years, including Terry Gardner, Skip Whitcomb, Dan Young, Joel Ostlind, Len Chmiel, Barbara Van Cleve, William Matthews, Karmel Timmons, and James Morgan.

Publications also sponsored artists’ awards during both the Coors Show and Young Guns, an exhibit for emerging and mid-career artists. The Western Art & Architecture Award went to Donna Howell-Sickles’ Waiting at the Gate (Coors) and Ben Walter’s For a Moment, Calm (Young Guns). The Southwest Art Award went to James Morgan’s Cottonwood Cathedral (Coors) and Ben Walter’s Western Skies (Young Guns). The Western Art Collector Award went to Joseph McGurl’s Light of the West (Coors) and Amber Blazina’s Indigo Girls (Young Guns). And the Art of the West Award went to wildlife painter Edward Aldrich.

Bonhams’ California & Western Art

December 19, 2024
Total: Nearly $1.2 million

Joseph Kleitsch, Mission Canyon | Oil on Canvas | 29 x 33 inches | Sold: $127,500

Bonhams holds two California and Western art auctions per year in person and online, representing a mix of historic and contemporary Western paintings, drawings, and bronzes, as well as sporting and wildlife art. This past December, Bonahms’ California & Western Art marked nearly $1.2 million in sales during a live auction of more than 100 items in Los Angeles, California.

The top-selling lot was a work by Guy Rose [1867–1925], Rocks, Point Reamer (Carmel), which sold for $229,100, amid estimates of $200,000 to $300,000. Point Reamer (now Carmel Point) has inspired countless plein air artists thanks to its panoramic views of Carmel Bay. Rose brought his unique skills to the location for the first time in the summer of 1918, roughly the same year he created this painting.

Two works by the Hungarian-born and trained artist Joseph Kleitsch [1882–1931] were among the top-selling items. Mission Canyon sold for $127,500, amid estimates of $100,000 to $150,000, and Laguna Coastal Scene with Wildflowers brought $102,100, above its high estimate of $70,000. Both works exemplify the artist’s ability to capture the magnificence of the California landscape.

Another notable selling item was a gouache and watercolor on leather board work by Charles Marion Russell [1864–1926], The Bronco Buster (Bronco Twister), which sold for $76,700, amid estimates of $70,000 to $100,000. The bronco buster is a subject the artist visited on countless occasions and in multiple media, including bronze, ink, oil, and — in this case — gouache. Painted circa 1894, the roundel captures a brief moment of wild, untamed energy when horse and rider become one.

Freeman’s | Hindman Western and Contemporary Native American Art

November 12, 2024
Total: $955,000+

Earl Biss, Blizzard Along the Flatirons | Oil on Canvas | 48 x 60 inches | Sold: $69,850

Freeman’s | Hindman’s Western and Contemporary Native American Art auction, featuring 258 creations by artists past and present, took place on November 12, 2024, and brought a total of more than $955,000.

Apsáalooke artist Earl Biss [1947–1998] led the auction, with Blizzard Along the Flatirons selling for $69,850, above its high estimate of $40,000, and Before the Water Turned to Ice selling for $48,260, above its high estimate of $30,000. Both paintings depicted brightly colored landscapes and figures on horseback in the artist’s instantly recognizable style.

Additional top-selling items include Paul Pletka’s (b. 1946) The Patriot, a portrait of a Native American figure wearing an elk-ivory adorned vest and holding an American flag. The painting sold for $47,625, above its high estimate of $12,000, to benefit the collections care or acquisitions fund of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

A selection of painted bronzes by American artist Dave McGary [1958–2013] achieved tidy sums to land amid the top-selling lots: A 1997 artist’s casting of Bounty of Gray Hawk sold for $31,750, above its high estimate of $15,000; Gray Hawk’s Legacy, edition 10/40, brought $31,750, above its high estimate of $18,000; and The Crow and the Bear, edition 7/40, realized $28,575, above its high estimate of $20,000.

And, notably, a bronze by Charles Marion Russell [1864–1926] depicting a wolf staring at a bottle on the ground, To Noses That Read, a Smell That Spells Man, sold for $28,575, amid estimates of $20,000 to $40,000.

Also taking place on November 12, Freeman’s | Hindman’s Gateway to the West: Property from the Collection of a Missouri Company sale offered 60 lots for a total of more than $440,000. The top-selling item was Vic Payne’s 1999 bronze Eagle Catcher, which brought $69,850, above its high estimate of $50,000.