Into the Wild

Wildlife and Western works shine bright at the annual Jackson Hole Art Auction

On September 13 and 14, the Jackson Hole Art Auction returned to Wyoming for its 13th annual sale. Hosted by Trailside Galleries and Gerald Peters Gallery, the sale realized more than $5.6 million in sales, with an 84 percent sell-through rate. Carl Rungius (1869-1959), Alaskan Wilderness. Oil on canvas, 40¼ x 50¼ in. Estimate: $400/600,000 SOLD: $642,500

The top lot was Carl Rungius’ Alaskan Wilderness, a work of a moose on top of a bare ridgeline with a terrific view out over the valley below it. The painting was estimated at $400,000 to $600,000, and surpassed those numbers when it closed at $642,500. It is now the second-best selling piece by Rungius to come up for auction—his top lot was set in 2006 at $952,000. A second Rungius that performed strongly was Timber (est. $150/250,000), another moose scene, which sold for $105,300. Additionally, a number of Rungius etchings, highly collectible by wildlife enthusiasts, all sold well with multiple bidders for each lot.Carl Rungius (1869-1959), Timber. Oil on canvas, 24 x 32 in. Estimate: $150/250,000 SOLD: $105,300

A number of Bob Kuhn pieces sold within the top 10, including The Look Before the Leap (est. $100/200,000) that sold for $180,000 and Cat on the Qui Vive (est. $150/250,000), which sold for $175,500.Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), The Three Wise Men, 1920. Gouache on brown paper, 23½ x 40 in. Estimate: $200/400,000 SOLD: $169,650

Other standouts were William R. Leigh’s Faithful (est. $200/300,000), which sold for $175,500, and Charles M. Russell’s Christmas-themed The Three Wise Men, which sold for $169,650, just below its $200,000 low estimate. Additionally, Olaf Wieghorst’s The Last March, sold for $93,600, well above its $75,000 high estimate. Other artists represented in the sale included William Gollings, Leon Gaspard, Oscar Berninghaus, Gerald Cassidy, Joseph Henry Sharp, Edgar Payne, Albert Bierstadt and William Bradford.William Bradford (1823-1892), Sunset at Fort McHenry with Row Boat to Ship, 1868. Oil on canvas, 12¼ x 18¼ in. Estimate: $25/35,000 SOLD: $40,950

Auction partner Roxanne Hofmann Mowery says that attendance and participation in this year’s sale was high, and shows promising signs to continue that trend. “Attendance continues to grow as the auction is a signature of the Jackson Hole Fine Arts Festival and the two-day event is a definitive destination auction,” she says. “This year we added our own Jackson Hole Art Auction app. With this clients could bid remotely, and because of this, we saw a surge of new buyers that had not previously bid and bought at the auction. Very exciting!” —

Top Sales

Jackson Hole Art Auction, September 13-14, 2019 (including Buyer’s Premium)
Artist - Title - Low/High ESt. - SOLD

Carl Rungius, Alaskan Wilderness, $400/600,000, $642,500
Logan Maxwell Hagege, The Rising Clouds, $80/120,000, $187,200
Bob Kuhn, The Look Before the Leap, $100/200,000, $180,000
Bob Kuhn, Cat on the Qui Vive, $150/250,000, $175,500
William R. Leigh, Faithful, $200/300,000, $175,500
Charles M. Russell, The Three Wise Men, $200/400,000, $169,650
Carl Rungius, Timber, $150/250,000, $105,300
Charlie Dye, Remuda, $70/100,000, $93,600
Olaf Wieghorst, The Last March, $50/75,000, $93,600
Robert Bateman, Elk and Aspen, $80/120,000, $81,900
James Bama, Trout Creek Ranch, $30/50,000, $81,900