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W.H.D. Koerner (1878-1938)

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:12,000.00 - 16,000.00 USD
W.H.D. Koerner (1878-1938)
For Zane Grey’s "Sunset Pass"
36” x 30”
oil on board
Initialed lower left
Titled and inscribed on reverse: “Sunset Pass #6 'I’m Butchering Tomorrow, Mr. Rock, He Asserted"
Framed to 43 1/2" x 38"

William Henry Dethlef Koerner (1878 - 1938)

W.H.D. Koerner is renowned as one of the master illustrators of America’s Wild West, ranking with Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Phillip R. Goodwin, and Harvey Dunn. Koerner’s illustrations are known for his bold brushwork, vibrant color palette and vigorous depictions of the “Great American West". Between 1919 and 1922 the Saturday Evening Post asked Koerner to illustrate two series: “Traveling the Old Trails,” and “The Covered Wagon.” As a result of these assignments, he developed an interest in the West that would come to characterize the work of the rest of his career. In 1928, Koerner’s fame as an illustrator was at its peak. Among the many authors for whom he illustrated was Zane Grey, the most popular western writer of his time. Grey was particularly fond of the artist’s work and owned some of the “square-ups,” or working drawings, which Koerner had done for his magazine stories. Koerner's studio is replicated at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming.