107 Roping the Antelope

Category Art
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 2,000.00 USD
Estimated at 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Roping the Antelope
Artist: Ellwell, R. FarringtonDate of Birth: 1874-1962
Medium: Oil on board
Dimensions: 22 x 15 3/4 inches
Signed: Signed lower right and inscribed "Arizona"
Verso:

If you’ve ever seen a Pronghorn Antelope run and leap, you will know that the possibility implied in Elwell’s Roping the Antelope belongs more to the realm of myth than it does to history. Especially when the action is going downhill, which is where the cowboy’s already poor chances of roping the ‘lope are headed. Realism aside, this painting has some fine qualities. The animals are very well done, as is the cowboy. And the shape of the cloud in that pink sky that brackets the action, and the lariat, is a nice touch. R. Farrington Elwell’s career as a newspaper sketch artist in Boston took off when Buffalo Bill took notice of his coverage of the Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill hired Elwell as his ranch manager, and for the next quarter century, Elwell, in addition to his regular duties, was a prolific illustrator. He would later settle in the Phoenix area and continue to specialize in Western action scenes.