Celebrating 50 years
Cowboy Artist’s of America
970-476-9350 www.claggettrey.com
COWBOY ARTIST’S OF AMERICA / 50th Anniversary
PERSPECTIVE OF THE WEST ----Collection on display at Claggett Rey Gallery through October 15th, 2015
It has been five decades for the COWBOY ARTISTS OF AMERICA and we are celebrating the brand and the legacy with a selection of works. SeventySeven artists have ever been part of this iconic group. Each of these artists, in their own way, contributed to what has been revered as the finest art organization in North America. The CAA set the standard and broke down many barriers for the museum and institutional shows today and opened the doors to amazng western art collectors around the world. We have worked with many of these fine gentlemen over the past 26 years and pride ourselves on placing many masterpieces in private and public collections. So here’s to the COWBOY ARTISTS OF AMERICA--and to all those who are part of this great organization!
(Title page) Roy Andersen (1930-) When Trails Grow Faint oil on canvas, 48 x 34 inches
(Previous page) Roy Andersen (1930-) The Medicine Pony Dance oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches
Roy Andersen (1930-) The Envoy oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches
John Moyers (1958-) Sun Worshipper oil on canvas, 52 x 26 inches
John Moyers (1958-) Apache gouache on canvas, 36 x 24 inches
John Moyers (1958-) Change of Location oil on canvas, 42 x 60 inches
John Coleman (1949-) Buffalo Medicine charcoal on board, 36 x 24 inches Ron Riddick (1952-) Monsoon Pony Express oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches (oppisite page)
Bruce Greene (1953-) First Dance bronze, 25 x 18.5 x 25.5 inches Bruce Greene (1953-) Wall Street from a Saddle Seat bronze, 39 x 17 x 11 inches (Opposite page) Also available in life-size
Monument dimensions 9’4” x 7’ x 3’3” Edition of 7 $165,000
Loren Entz (1949-) Mothers oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches
Loren Entz (1949-) Working the Shadows, Wald Ranch oil on canvas, 36 x 72 inches
Joe Beeler (1931-2006-) Sugar for the Trail bronze, 20 x 13 x 11 inches
Joe Beeler (1931- 2006) Night Song bronze, 27 x 17 x 13 inches
Joe Beeler (1931- 2006) The Healer bronze, 50 x 53 x 34 inches
Kenneth Riley (1919-2015) Indain Pony oil on board, 24 x 24 inches
Kenneth Riley (1919-2015) His Land oil on board, 12 x 12 inches
Bill Owen (1942-2013) Wheeler oil on canvas, 18 x 20 inches
James Reynolds (1926-2010) His Majesty oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches Beartooh Pass, oil on canvas, 47 x 38 inches (opposite page)
SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX Artist Tom Lovell (1909-1997) was considered one of the finest living historic illustrators in 1964 when commissioned by the National Geographic Society to create a painting of a very important event to be used in an article reflecting on its 100th anniversary. The date, April 9th 1865, marked the end of the Civil War with the signing and surrender in Wilmer MacLean’s living room in the village of Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. The painting “Surrender at Appomattox” is the most important truly National painting we may ever have in our possession here at Claggett/Rey Gallery and we look upon it as the peoples painting. National Geographic realized no such visual record existed of such an important event in our nations history. Artist Tom Lovell was given open access to all written accounts, documents and photographs of those in attendance and access to the location for his meticulous research. This painting has since become accepted as the most authoritative depiction of the event. Tom Lovell was a perfectionist and clearly the finest choice to create a painting depicting the emotion of the moment. General Grant head of the Union forces in his soiled uniform, with no spurs or saber, sits slump shouldered and tired, truly humble as the significance of the event sets in while observing General Lee head of the Confederacy, dressed in his last best embroidered uniform with polished boots and spurs signing the terms of surrender. Grant, clearly, along with his significant union observers are heeding Lincoln’s words to allow Lee and the Confederacy very respectful and dignified terms of surrender to unify the country and become a nation. The honorable way in which the war ended allowed the country to heal with dignity and save from further bloodshed and a guerilla war, which could have lasted for decades. Paintings created during the Civil War by noted artists such as Winslow Homer (1836-1910), Eastman Johnson (1824-1906), Thomas Moran (1832-1926), John Ross Key (1837-1920), William Aiken Walker (1838-1921) and others, are works reflecting daily life during the times and today are highly regarded as incredible fine art records of the period. Although there were cameras being used throughout the Civil War ironically there were none present at the Surrender at Appomattox nor was there an artist in attendance. There are plenty of written accounts though, documenting virtually every detail of the historic event. The magnitude of the signing and surrender was so significant to the witnessing Union officers they virtually stripped the room bare of all furnishings after Lee’s departure and later troops cut strips of fabric from the couch and the carpet to own some record of the event which they would reflect on the rest of their lives.
The 1990 documentary by Ken Burns is an invaluable series on the Civil War. In the interviews Ken Burns says, “The Civil War, is the most defining, the most important event in American History. Everything before it led up to it, everything since, even though so far away is in some ways a consequence of it. How could we not be drawn to figure out what happened, what actually happened because it matters”. The “Surrender at Appomattox” was deaccessioned by the National Geographic Society along with a number of other paintings and photographs, which were offered through Christie’s New York. It had been in the storage in a very crudely simple frame behind Plexiglas for almost five decades. Loaned from time to time for a few museum shows, which are recorded on the reverse and its image appeared in several books and prints. The “Surrender at Appomattox” has lived in legend through artists who knew Tom Lovell, and those peers equally understood the mastery of Tom’s creation for what he was able to capture in his chosen medium of oil paint. He created a National painting, a peoples painting, honoring through his skill a moment and emotion in history, which defined and unified this country. The painting is an icon of American art history and now has a renewed life and an appropriate frame to dress for its national stage and can be viewed at Claggett/Rey Gallery in Vail Colorado for an unspecified duration. Shown at left standing next to General Lee is his military secretary, Colonel Charles Marshall. Accompanying General Grant, seated at the small table on the right, were officers of his staff, including Major General Phillip H. Sheridan, Colonel Orvillle E. Babcock, Lieutenant-General Horace Porter, Major-General Edward O.C. Ord, Major-General Seth Williams, Colonel Theodore S. Bowers, Colonel Ely S. Parker, and Major-General George A. Custer on the far right. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the event and 50 years since the painting was created, we will once again choose to reflect on the Civil War and the nature in which it united the states through the conscious vision President Lincoln had, which he conveyed to General Grant to honorably end the war. General Lee was courageous in defeat and committed his efforts toward ending the hostilities for the weeks, months and years after the “Surrender at Appomattox”.
Tom Lovell (1909-1997) Surrender At Appomattox oil on board, 18 x 30 inches (previous page)
Herb Mignery (1937-) It’s a Cinch, It’s Trouble bronze, 22 x 30 x 17 inches Howard Terpning Indian Head study (untitled) pencil on paper, 7 x 5 inches (opposite Page)
Herb Mignery (1937-) National Anthem bronze, ed. 9/9, bas relief 28 x 14 x 10 inches The Hungry Loop, bronze, ed 1/20 26 x 20 x 13 inches (opposite page)
Herb Mignery (1937-) Hungry Loop (monument placement at Brookgreen Gardens) 104 x 29 x 86 inches
Dave Powell (1954-) Commanchero Two Step oil on canvas, 12 x 24 inches Winter Eagle Child charcoal on paper, 25 x 19 inches (opposite page)
Dave Powell (1954-) The Way of the Commanchero oil on canvas, 24 x 48 inches
Gary Niblett (1943-) Canyon Strays oil on canvas, 18 x 26 inches
Gary Niblett (1943-) Trailing The Tetons oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches
Gordon Snidow (1936-) The VIP gouache on board, 18 x 19 inches Slicker Weather gouache on board, 27 x 18 inches (opposite page)
Gordon Snidow (1936-) Halter Shy gouache on board, 18.5 x 17 inches
Gordon Snidow (1936-) Wooly Bully gouache on board, 19 x 22 inches
Tom Ryan (1922-2011) You Bet He’ll Buck pastel on board, 24 x 30 inches
Robert Lougheed (1922-2011) Action At Indian Rock oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches
Robert Lougheed (1922-2011) Dust of San Carlos oil on board, 12 x 16 inches
Robert Lougheed (1922-2011) On the Field Wagon... oil on board, 12 x 16 inches
Robert Lougheed (1922-2011) Follow the Old Pecos Trail oil on board, 12 x 24 inches
Robert Pummill (1936-) Keepin’ To Higher Ground oil on canvas, 40 x 46 inches
Robert Pummill (1936-) North of Bandera oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches On a Hillside in Texas oil on canvas, 60 x 44 inches (opposite page) (Cover page / detail) Robert Pummill (1936-) Trail Dust at Dawn oil on canvas, 32 x 44 inches
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“You’re the sons of Charlie Russell And I’m proud to call you friends, you spread the paint and shape the clay where western art begins. And your calling is a hard one If you really do it right, High lonesome like a cowboy on a starless, stormy night…” Don Hedgpeth