Bidspirit auction | Theodore Waddell ”Barber Horses” Oil

Theodore Waddell ”Barber Horses” Oil Painting 1990 - Theodore Waddell (American, b. 1941). Oil on canvas painting titled ”Barber Horses, ” 1990. Depicting two equestrian forms. Signed and dated along the lower right; further signed, titled, and dated along the verso. 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. Height: 48 1/4 in x width: 54 1/4 in x depth: 1 3/4 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are no tears or losses. There is an area of cupping and a small quadrant of craquelure along the center of the work. Light wear along the extreme edges. The work is not framed.