On April 8 and 9 Scottsdale Art Auction will return to Scottsdale, Arizona, where it will offer a variety of artwork—from cowboys and cattle to sporting and wildlife scenes—from some of the top Western artists, as well as artists who are recognized more broadly within the American art market. William R. Leigh (1866-1955), The Narrowing Circle, 1916. Oil on canvas laid down on Masonite, 25¾ x 36 in., signed lower right: ‘W.R. Leigh.’ Estimate: $750/1,000,000

“We’re seeing lots of interest all around for our April sale. Some of it is more specific to our Western work, but some of it is coming from the larger art market in general,” auction partner Michael Frost says. “The wonderful thing about our sale is we have plenty of people who collect Western, and plenty who collect the more historic American work that appears in our sale. And then we many who collect both. What we’ve been hearing lately from all of them is that people are ready to get out and start bidding. There is excitement.”Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939), The Rimrock Wrangler, 1936. Oil on canvas, 28 x 36 in., signed and dated lower left. Estimate: $400/600,000

The sale will take place across two sessions over two days, which will help spread out more than 450 lots of art. Prior to the pandemic, the auction house would host both sessions on the same day but has since split them. “The two-day aspect of the sale has been greeted very positively,” Frost says. “A long sale can be grueling, to the bidder and to us as well. And just splitting it up makes it a bit more fun to watch.”Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972), Navajo Night. Oil on board, 16 x 20 in., signed lower left. Estimate: $60/80,000

Thomas Moran (1837-1926), Solitude, Coconino Forest, Arizona, 1907. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in., signed lower right, dated 1907. Estimate: $400/600,000

Highlights from sale include four impressive Frank Tenney Johnson paintings, two of which are his revered nocturne paintings. The Rimrock Wrangler, estimated at $400,000 to $600,000, is an early favorite among bidders. The piece is named after Johnson’s Wyoming home, Rimrock Ranch, where the artist and his wife would spend summers during the lean years of the Great Depression. Another Johnson is Packing In, estimated at $250,000 to $350,000, showing those stunning nocturne colors that bidders crave for their collections. “Packing In, the canyon scene, is especially nice for this year’s sale,” Frost says. “When you can get a Frank Tenney at that level in your sale, you know there’s going to be some exciting bidding.” The other Johnson works are Cruising for Cattle (est. $25/50,000) and Apache Scout (est. $75/125,000). Joseph Henry Sharp (1859-1953), Indian Couple in Interior. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in., signed lower right. Estimate: $125/175,000

William R. Leigh will also be represented with several works, including two major action pieces: In Pursuit (est. $400/600,000) and Narrowing the Circle (est. $750/1,000,000). Narrowing the Circle should be especially exciting for collectors because the work is quintessential Leigh, with lots of drama and action, and it has been in a number of books on the artist.

Another big piece worth watching is Thomas Moran’s Solitude, Coconino Forest, Arizona, a magnificent wilderness piece estimated at $400,000 to $600,000. After the passing of the artist’s wife, Moran and his daughter would frequent the Coconino Forest and Grand Canyon, often even exchanging paintings to secure their train tickets.  Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936), Moonlight, Pueblo de Taos. Oil on canvas, mounted on board, 30 x 36 in.,
signed lower right. Estimate: $150/250,000

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), The Stampede. Watercolor, 20 x 30 in., signed lower left. Estimate: $125/175,000

Paintings from Taos, New Mexico, always make a strong appearance at the Arizona sale and this year is no different with several major pieces from Eanger Irving Couse, Joseph Henry Sharp, William Herbert “Buck” Dunton and Oscar E. Berninghaus. The Couse piece Moonlight, Pueblo de Taos should excite bidders because it has a number of key elements: the classic Couse figures, the nocturnal quality of the paint and the Taos Pueblo setting. The work is expected to sell between $150,000 and $250,000. The noteworthy Sharp piece is Indian Couple in Interior (est. $125/175,000), which has a very contemporary feel to its color and composition. Philip R. Goodwin (1881-1935), An Unexpected Opportunity. Oil on canvas, 31 x 22 in., signed lower left. Estimate: $150/200,000

Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939), Packing In, 1931. Oil on board, 24 x 18 in., signed and dated lower left. Estimate: $250/350,000

Two works by Charles M. Russell will be available: Cavalry Mounts for the Brave (est. $150/250,000) and The Stampede (est. $125/175,000), both works on paper. Russell always draws out passionate collectors, so the auction house is expecting a lot of interest with both works. 

Elsewhere in the sale is Gerard Delano Curtis’ Navajo Night (est. $60/80,000), Fremont Ellis’ Autumn Come to Colorado (est. $15/25,000), Leon Gaspard’s The Fair – Russia 1911 (est. $40/60,000), Philip R. Goodwin’s An Unexpected Opportunity (est. $150/200,000) and Walter Ufer’s The Singer (est. $80/120,000). Other artists that will have work in the sale include Olaf Wieghorst, Frank W. Benson, Gerald Cassidy, Edgar Payne, William Gollings, Herman Hansen, Frank Hoffman, Frank Schoonover, W.H.D. Koerner and Frederic Remington, who will be represented by a complete and rare set of prints. —

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