Western Paintings by William R. Leigh & Thomas Moran Featured in 2024 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction

This year’s Fine Western & American Art sale by Coeur d’Alene Art Auction will present Embarrassed (Range Pony in Town), a 1910 oil on canvas painting by William R. Leigh. In his unpublished memoirs, Leigh wrote, “With his payoff money in his pocket, the cow-puncher does not keep his head very long. Usually, drunken men, when thrown, aren’t hurt – they merely afford amusement to the onlookers.” Inscribed on the verso of the painting’s frame is “Scene from Cody, Wyoming.” William R. Leigh (1866  -  1955) had a childhood infused with Native American folklore, and above all, a certainty that the West represented the authentic America. His paintings of Wyoming and the Southwest caught much attention. His later creations capture the characteristics of Native American and cowboy life.

In 1920, as Thomas Moran (1837  – 1926) neared the end of a long career, he was turning towards reinterpreting his favorite themes and applying updated technical skills that derived from new tastes in art. He reconsidered scenic concepts such as the Monterey Coast of California, which he found particularly inspirational. Monterey Coast (1920), an oil on canvas by Moran, is available in this sale. In this painting, Moran prioritized poetic suggestions for shrubs, trees, rocks, and rising land mass areas. The colors are soft and seem filled with inner illumination. Shadow hues are rich. Other notable artists represented in the sale include Howard Terpning, Charles M. Russell, Frederic Remington, and more. View the complete catalog and register to bid in the Fine Western & American Art sale and other online auctions on Bidsquare. Find additional auction previews and news on Auction Daily.