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Moran painting

Moran painting fetches $4.4M at auction to benefit C.M. Russell Museum

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
Thomas Moran, 'Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming,' 1907, oil, 20 x 30 inches. The Russell image
Thomas Moran’s ‘Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming,’ 1907, oil, 20 x 30 inches, was bid to $3.6 million. The buyer’s premium boosted the price to $4.4 million  The Russell image

 

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) – A 1907 oil painting by Thomas Moran sold for $4,428,000 at a Western art auction in Great Falls.

The Great Falls Tribune reports that the painting of Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming (above), was the highest sale at the auction to benefit the C.M. Russell Museum. Auction sales for The Russell: An Exhibition and Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum on March 19 totaled $7.1 million.

Moran (1837-1926) was a British-born painter and printmaker who became one of the pre-eminent artists of the American West. In 1871, as a member of the Hayden Geological Survey, he recorded the glories of the area that Congress set aside in 1872 as Yellowstone National Park.

Although Moran resided for most of his life in the eastern United States, the West was his inspiration and his muse. Measuring 20 by 30 inches, Castle Rock, Green River, Wyoming is an exceptional example of Moran’s treatment of a subject he painted continually throughout his career.

An oil painting by Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), 18 1/2 by 12 inches, depicting an Indian on horseback (below), sold at the auction $1,004,000. Prices are inclusive of the buyer’s premium.

 

This Charles M. Russell oil painting sold for $1,004,000. The Russell image
This Charles M. Russell oil painting sold for $1,004,000. The Russell image

 

An 1899 watercolor by Russell titled Blood Chief  (below) rode to $246,000.

 

C.M. Russell's 'Blood Chief,' watercolor and graphite, topped $1 million. The Sussell image
C.M. Russell’s ‘Blood Chief,’ watercolor and graphite. Price realized: $246,000. The Sussell image

 

 

A drawing by Russell titled Faro Layout (below), depicting Western gamblers at a gaming table, won $73,800.

 

C.M. Russell drawing, Faro Layout. Price realized:
C.M. Russell drawing, ‘Faro Layout.’ Price realized: $73,800. The Russell image

 

Recognized as one of the most prestigious Western art events in the country, The Russell provides funding through commissions and premiums that directly support the museum’s 
educational programs and cultural outreach.

Last year the highest sale for a single piece was $1.5 million.

LiveAuctioneers.com facilitated absentee and Internet live bidding.
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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com

Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

 

Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.

Moran painting