Bidspirit auction | Theodore J. Waddell ”Angus #51”

Theodore J. Waddell ”Angus #51” Oil Painting 1982 - Theodore Waddell (American, b. 1941). Oil on canvas painting titled ”Angus #51,” 1982. Depicting a trio of Aberdeen Angus beef cows. Signed, titled, and dated along the verso. Provenance: Distinguished Corporate Collection. Lot essay: Prominent artist and third-generation Montanan, Theodore Waddell, is widely regarded as one of the West's most celebrated contemporary artists. Waddell's interest in art began at a young age, inspired by fond childhood memories of watching his father paint railroad boxcars and complete paint-by-numbers. Waddell entered Eastern Montana College (now Montana State University Billings) with the intent to become an architect; however, after flunking a math test, he enrolled in a studio art class specializing in western landscapes. Within a month of beginning the course, Waddell remarked, ”I didn't want to be alive and not make art.” With deep roots in the West and American art, Theodore Waddell's artwork draws greatly on his life experiences growing up in Montana, notably taking inspiration from the wildlife and landscape surrounding him. Waddell's artistic style incorporates bold brushstrokes, rich textures, and thick layers of pigment to capture the beauty and rugged realities of ranch life in the high plains and mountain valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Viewing the animals and landscapes that he paints as inextricably connected, Waddell frequently pairs these subjects, allowing each to complement the other. While much Western art evokes nostalgia for a bygone era, Waddell's paintings are grounded in an active and deeply personal connection to the land and the enduring rhythms of the West. Unframed; height: 36 in x width: 48 in. Framed; height: 38 in x width: 49 1/2 in x depth: 2 3/4 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are areas of craquelure throughout; there are two round regions of craquelure along the upper left quadrant and the center. There are no tears to the canvas or large losses to the paint. There is a small region of flaking along the lower left corner, with some small losses. Light wear along the extreme edges. Light wear to the frame. Not inspected out of frame.