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Lot Essay
In an introduction to the monograph published for the first major retrospective of Henry Farny's work in many years, Millard F. Rogers, Jr., Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum noted, "Among painters of the American Indian and the West, there is none better than Henry F. Farny...no one equaled Farny's careful rendering of the western landscape, his strong yet sympathetic depiction of the American Indian, and his well-crafted and lucid painting of dramatic incidents in the Far West. Equally accomplished in oil or gouache, Farny concentrated on a limited genre and found ready patronage. Today's collectors have the same eager appreciation of Farny's glimpses of the old and now-disappeared West that his patrons did at the turn of the century." (Henry Farny, New York, 1978, p. 11)
The co-existence of man and nature in the present work is underscored by the subdued yet accurate palette that Farny has employed. The muted yet rich tones of pale greens and blue contrasted against the warm tones of the Oklahoma plains reinforce this feeling of open expanse and a landscape that is still pure. The innocence of the figure in the landscape perhaps serve as a prelude to the encroachment of outsiders on the rapidly dwindling lands. For Farny, poignant scenes were not conveyed with action-filled compositions crowded with figures. On the contrary, his sparse compositions direct his viewers to seriously contemplate his complex subject.
Henry Farny had passed away when his son was only eight years old and as a result Daniel became very close to his stepfather, Walter, in later years. In a letter dated September 23, 1957, Daniel refers to the present work as being his stepfather's favorite paintings and stored it with him when he served in World War II.
The co-existence of man and nature in the present work is underscored by the subdued yet accurate palette that Farny has employed. The muted yet rich tones of pale greens and blue contrasted against the warm tones of the Oklahoma plains reinforce this feeling of open expanse and a landscape that is still pure. The innocence of the figure in the landscape perhaps serve as a prelude to the encroachment of outsiders on the rapidly dwindling lands. For Farny, poignant scenes were not conveyed with action-filled compositions crowded with figures. On the contrary, his sparse compositions direct his viewers to seriously contemplate his complex subject.
Henry Farny had passed away when his son was only eight years old and as a result Daniel became very close to his stepfather, Walter, in later years. In a letter dated September 23, 1957, Daniel refers to the present work as being his stepfather's favorite paintings and stored it with him when he served in World War II.