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175

Wieghorst, Olaf (1899 - 1988)

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Wieghorst, Olaf (1899 - 1988)
<strong>Wieghorst, Olaf </strong>
(1899 - 1988)

<strong>Wagon Boss</strong>

oil on canvas
18 x 22 inches
signed lower left: <i>O. Wieghorst</i>

In the catalogue for a retrospective of the work of Olaf Wieghorst presented at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1982, Ginger Renner wrote, "In the field of Western American art it was Charles Marion Russell who blazed the trail, set the standards and introduced subjects never before put on canvas... In the three generations of artists who have followed there is one who, sincerely and with ample justification, can be compared with the great Charlie Russell in this writer's opinion. That artist is Olaf Wieghorst." High praise, indeed, for a self-taught artist who did not see the shores of the United States until the age of 19.

Olaf Wieghorst was born to Karl and Anna Wieghorst on April 30, 1899, in the village of Viborg,
Jutland, Denmark. He learned the rudiments of painting from his photographer father but received
essentially no formal training in the arts. The young Wieghorst was instructed in acrobatics by a
Russian performer and became a stage sensation as "Little Olaf, the Miniature Acrobat." Wieghorst had a passion for horses since his earliest days, and his talents as a rider were
put to use during his teenage years when he performed in Danish “Western” films and in the circus. Dreaming always of the American West, Wieghorst sailed for the United States in December 1918, arriving in New York with no money, no command of the English language, and little more than faith to sustain him. His equestrian talents did not go unnoticed, however, and Wieghorst joined the U.S. Cavalry and was posted to Fort Bliss, Texas, for basic training.
After three years of service with the Fifth Cavalry along the Mexican border, Wieghorst was mustered out of the military in June of 1922. He was finally free to pursue the life of a cowboy, wandering extensively throughout the Southwest, gathering notes and sketches for later use in his artwork.

Wieghorst was known to have spent a great deal of time researching the subject of a painting. He often referred to the large collection of Indian artifacts and equestrian equipment he had assembled in his studio when organizing a composition. His paintings are embued with historical accuracy; he captures the the feel of the place and period represented. An ardent observer of horse anatomy and behavior, Wieghorst gave equal emphasis to the portrayal of the boss and his horse in <i>Wagon Boss.</i> The boss gazes out to the horizon, drenched with the colors from the setting sun, to survey the landscape for a safe place to pitch camp.—KK







Provenance:

Literature:
William Reed, <i>Olaf Wieghorst,</i> Flagstaff, Arizona: Northland Press, 1969
Ginger K. Renner and Martin E. Peterson, <i>Wieghorst: Dean of Western Painters, </i>
Tulsa, Oklahoma: Thomas Gilcrease Museum Association, 1982
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